Chapter 26: Rose Heart |
In the Sunset Ruins, the central hub for players of the Weird Game, a black tower pierced the heavens.
Before the tower stood a colossal golden tree, and beneath its boughs, several stone monuments of varying sizes were inscribed with intricate text that shifted and reformed with the passing of time.
The rankings on the largest monument had long been fixed. The name 'Fu Jue' held the top spot, a commanding and conspicuous sight.
Slightly smaller were a series of monuments engraved with titles like 'Guild Influence Rankings' and 'Rookie Rankings,' where the lower ranks flickered, names shifting in a constant, rapid flux.
Suddenly, the leaves of the great tree rustled, though there was no wind. A few lines of text materialized on a monument that resembled a notice board, accompanied by a system-wide announcement:
[True End for 'Rose Manor (Novice)' Instance—'Cage of Obsession'—has been recorded.]
[MVP Player: ** (Player has chosen not to display their nickname)]
Every player resting in the plaza heard the announcement, and a murmur of discussion rippled through the crowd.
"What's going on? A novice instance is worth a special announcement?"
"Whoever they are, they're no joke. To be this impressive as a rookie... we might see their name on the leaderboards someday."
"Hard to say. Most don't even make it past their third instance. I'm more curious about how you even trigger the True End for Rose Manor."
"It's a shame the novice instances aren't streamed or recorded. We'll just have to check the forums and hope they post a guide."
The players' chatter lasted only a moment before they dispersed. In the grand scheme of the game, a True End in a novice instance was little more than a triviality.
After all, everyone in the Sunset Ruins was a veteran player. Unless they spent points to specifically select a novice instance, their paths would never cross with one again.
...
['Rose Manor' S-Rank Evaluation. Reward: 1000 Points.]
['Rose Manor' True End Completion. Reward: 1000 Points.]
[100% Worldview Decoding. Reward: 1000 Points.]
When the three-minute countdown ended, Qi Si found himself enveloped in a darkness so profound he couldn't see his own hand before his face.
A full-length mirror stood before him, emitting a faint, shimmering blue light.
It reflected his image: a white shirt, black trousers, faint eyebrows, dark eyes, thin lips, and a face as pale as a ghost's.
The reflection flickered once before dissolving into a dark vortex, replaced by the instance's final settlement screen.
[Achievement Unlocked: 'Mainstay' (Made the greatest contribution to clearing a team instance). Reward: 500 Points.]
[Achievement Unlocked: 'Antinomy' (Simultaneously violated and exploited two conflicting rules to complete the instance). Reward: 500 Points.]
[Achievement Unlocked: 'Nemesis' (Became the primary object of a main NPC's hatred). Reward: 500 Points.]
[Total Reward: 4500 Points]
Qi Si took in the text and figures displayed on the full-length mirror.
He didn't yet know how many points it would cost to "fulfill a wish," so he had no real frame of reference for the four thousand five hundred points he'd just earned. Still, the sight of "S," "True End," and "100%" deeply satisfied his perfectionist streak.
Gazing at the gleaming silver text of the 'Nemesis' achievement, he rubbed his chin with an air of innocence. "To think I earned so much hatred. How petty of them..."
The system prompts on the screen continued to refresh.
[Congratulations on your perfect clear of the 'Rose Manor' instance. You have received a reward item: Rose Heart.]
A thumb-sized crystal pendant materialized before him, carved into a shape that was half rose, half heart. At a glance, it resembled a drop of blood spreading through clear water.
Qi Si reached out and took it. The cool, smooth crystal felt pleasant in his hand.
[Name: Rose Heart]
[Type: Item]
[Effect: While wearing this, you will more easily gain the favor and trust of others.]
[Note: The beautiful rose and the seemingly sincere heart become one. Living beings have always found it difficult to resist a beautiful lie.]
The item's detailed information flooded Qi Si's mind the moment he touched it.
He placed the blood-red crystal pendant around his neck, his eyes curving into a smile. "It seems the rewards for decoding the worldview and getting a perfect clear are quite substantial."
The 'Rose Heart's' effect was a perfect match for him. He was already skilled at winning favor and trust through deception and performance; with the item's amplification, his efforts would be twice as effective.
However, the phrase "more easily" was ambiguous. He would have to test its true effectiveness in the next instance.
[Your item 'Fate Pocket Watch' has been tempered by the instance, and its effect has changed.]
As the latest prompt appeared, Qi Si's eyes lit up.
He had tucked the Fate Pocket Watch, Chang Xu's final possession, into his shirt pocket and brought it out of the instance with him.
He had been worried that without a formal transfer, the Weird Game wouldn't acknowledge his claim. He never expected it to simply grant him ownership outright.
Did this mean that in the future, as long as he could bring another player's items out of an instance, they would automatically become his?
A realization dawned on Qi Si. He pulled the antique pocket watch from his pocket and read the text that materialized on its surface.
[Name: Fate Pocket Watch (Damaged)]
[Type: Item]
[Effect: Rewind objective time by one minute. (Usable once per instance)]
[Note: Time marks fate, and fate toys with time.]
Even Qi Si's breath caught when he saw the watch's effect. The ability to rewind time touched upon the laws of causality—this was the power of a god.
Even limited to one minute and a single use per instance, it was an extraordinary power.
—Faced with a binary choice, he could test one path without consequence, guaranteeing he would always choose correctly.
—On the brink of death, he could turn back the river of time, glimpse the future, and claim a second chance at life.
—He could attack someone, test their limits and reveal their hidden strengths, then rewind before things spiraled out of control and chat with them as if nothing had happened.
—He could even kill, just to see what it was like. He could harvest those interesting souls once, without any fear of waste or messy consequences.
Aside from the points, it was safe to say this watch was the most valuable thing Qi Si had acquired in the instance.
The points were his objective, but the 'Fate Pocket Watch' was the key to obtaining even more points—and more entertainment—in the future.
With that realization, the last fleeting trace of disappointment over the death of an interesting teammate vanished completely.
A sincere gratitude for Chang Xu welled up inside him. He lifted a hand to cover his face, his shoulders trembling as if he were weeping. But hidden beneath his palm was a radiant smile. "Chang Xu, your death was so... tragic. I'll be sure to burn some incense for you on holidays, if I remember."
Perhaps even the Weird Game couldn't stand the sight, for a cold, electronic voice suddenly rang out, cutting through his inappropriate glee:
[It has been detected that you have not yet registered a wish. Please register your wish.]
Qi Si finally remembered his original reason for entering the Weird Game.
He toned down the smile that stretched nearly ear to ear and said lightly, "My wish? Let's tentatively say... to cure my illness."
Shortly after his birthday on January 1st, Qi Si had suddenly fainted. His soul had drifted out of his body, floating listlessly for a long time before finally returning.
The doctor had called it a terminal illness: "Soul Weightlessness." As the condition progressed, the doctor explained, one day the patient would simply never wake up again.
The doctor had looked at him with pity. "Your case is extremely rare, with fewer than ten confirmed diagnoses worldwide. You should spend your final days doing what you want... or something meaningful."
Qi Si had asked, "For instance?"
"You could cooperate with our treatment and research," the doctor suggested. "If we make a breakthrough with your case, your name will go down in history."
Qi Si asked again, "Has anyone ever been cured?"
The doctor was honest. "Of course not. Otherwise, we wouldn't call it 'terminal,' would we?"
Qi Si declined the doctor's request to sign a body donation form. Compared to being remembered in the annals of medical history, he'd much rather his name appear on the list of perpetrators for a major criminal incident.
So, naturally, he began searching for a cure, while also resolving to make the most of his final days—by toying with people, creating a few more specimens, or just generally causing some trouble...
[Calculating the points required to fulfill your wish...]
A number appeared in the center of the system interface, spinning rapidly before finally settling on a final figure.
[Calculation Result: 1,000,000 Points]
Qi Si counted the zeroes, his eyes narrowing slightly.
One million points. Using the Rose Manor instance as a benchmark, he would need to clear over two hundred similar instances to accumulate that much.
No wonder the Weird Game hadn't allowed him to gather more information before he signed the contract.
Was it afraid he would refuse to play after weighing the risks and rewards?
Qi Si shook his head to himself, then circled the full-length mirror in the dark space, but he couldn't discover any other functions.
Then, a thought occurred to him. "Can I spend points to increase my physical strength?" he asked.
The Weird Game slowly produced a line of text: [You may spend 1000 points to change your wish to 'Increase Physical Strength.' The game will then recommend practical weapon-type items for you.]
Qi Si asked, "Do I have to change my wish? Can't I set multiple wishes?"
The Weird Game: [You cannot.]
"Never mind then."
Changing his wish was out of the question. As much as Qi Si was fixated on physical power, he wouldn't make the logical error of confusing the means with the end goal.
He mulled over the prompt's wording for a moment, an eyebrow slightly raised. "So, you can't directly enhance my physical body. I can only arm myself with items, is that right?"
[Correct. Human soul and body data are written by the World Rules. This game has no authority to alter them.]
Qi Si pressed, "What are the 'World Rules'? And what do you mean by 'written data'?"
[This game is a product of the World Rules. Final interpretation rights belong to the World Rules. All other information is locked to you. You do not have the authority to know.]
"..."
Qi Si squatted down in the darkness, lost in thought.
The image of Chang Xu crushing skeletons and stomping dolls flat was still vivid in his mind, as was the phrase he'd used: 'born with it.' Qi Si couldn't get it out of his head.
Could it be... that fellow wasn't lying? Was his ability to handle the supernatural truly innate?
Qi Si tapped a finger against his chin, a flicker of regret in his eyes.
If he had known Chang Xu was so special, he should have dug him out of the castle ruins, lured him to his workshop back in the real world, and dissected him to see how he was put together...
"Can I ask about Chang Xu's ability to handle supernatural beings?" Qi Si asked the game tentatively.
A line of cold text promptly appeared on the interface: [You may spend 1000 points to change your wish to 'Learn Chang Xu's Background.']
...So, there was no room for negotiation.
Qi Si gave a listless yawn, suppressing his inconvenient curiosity. "Exit game," he mumbled wearily.
[Now safely exiting the game. We wish you a pleasant life.]
(End of this chapter)
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