387 circled around Gu Jiu a few times, still puzzled by her exceptionally good mood.
It assumed that being trapped on the Death Train for half a month under such harrowing circumstances would inevitably take a toll on a player’s mental state. It had braced itself for her to come out emotionally drained, repressed, or even on the verge of a meltdown.
Who would have thought she’d turn out to be such a gentle and charming young lady?
[“Missy, are you okay?”]
“What could possibly be wrong with me?”
387 cautiously replied, [“You were stuck on the Death Train for half a month. I figured you’d be in a bad mood or something…”]
“No problem.” Gu Jiu responded nonchalantly, “That’s all in the past now. I’m feeling great and have no mental issues whatsoever.”
387 was skeptical. After all, it wasn’t human. Even though its intelligence matched that of an average human, it still couldn’t comprehend certain human emotions and thought processes. Seeing her calm and gentle demeanor, it genuinely believed she possessed an unshakable mental fortitude that allowed her to emerge unscathed from the game world.
“Alright, let’s settle the points,” Gu Jiu urged, eager to head to the Boundless City.
387 acknowledged.
[“For the ‘Death Train’ instance, Player Gu Jiu earned 6,000 points, meeting the conditions to purchase items generated by the Death Train instance.”]
[Item 1: Puppet Rat – Gold-devouring and silver-chewing, capable of digging through the ground. Each rat costs 300 points.]
[Item 2: Rusted Blood Axe – Splits gold and shatters silver, capable of cleaving oceans and slicing through voids. Effective against vengeful spirits and other abnormal creatures. Costs 800 points.]
[Item 3: Red High Heels – Significantly boosts combat power by 5%. Costs 1,200 points.]
[Item 4: Xiao Hui’s Space Lock – Unlocks hidden spaces for 30 minutes. Costs 1,500 points.]
[Item 5: Doll Lisa – A companion doll. Costs 2,000 points.]
…
[Item 25: Devouring Shadow – Can swallow the heavens and consume the earth. Engulfs everything within a hundred-mile radius in darkness. Costs 20,000 points.]
…
The Death Train instance generated a remarkable total of 25 items.
This indicated that the more powerful the instance world, the more items it would generate. However, it also meant players had to exert themselves more desperately to survive.
387 continued: [“Missy, you’ve received an additional 1,000 reward points from the Multiverse Game System. Five hundred points were awarded for being the first to discover the connection between the real and illusory spaces and for writing the train’s name at the subway station to warn other players. The other five hundred points were for rescuing numerous players at the station. Others also received reward points, but their maximum was only 500—less than you.”]
Toward the end, 387 sounded delighted, as if praising its mistress for her exceptional achievements.
However, Gu Jiu showed little enthusiasm and even criticized the system: “We saved so many people in this game, yet each of us only received 500 points. The system is so stingy it leaves one speechless.”
[“…”] 387 fell silent, like a scolded chicken.
Having been berated by the young lady so often, it now found itself agreeing with her—indeed, the main system was terribly stingy. Five hundred points could only buy a single Puppet Rat, which was practically useless.
Gu Jiu scanned the list of items in the shop, her gaze landing on the final item: the Devouring Shadow.
This Devouring Shadow was none other than the dark figures that had repeatedly emerged to consume the entire subway station.
According to system steward 387, the dark shadows were a form of external invading force, far more troublesome than the ghost boss of the subway station. Players had no way to deal with them and could only flee.
[“Missy, which items would you like to purchase?”] 387 asked nervously, afraid of being scolded again. [“You currently have 7,700 points, so you can buy quite a few items!”]
It was genuinely pleased. When players accumulated a lot of points, it felt a sense of shared pride as their system steward.
But Gu Jiu shattered its joy with a single sentence.
“I can’t even afford the Devouring Shadow. What’s the use of having this many points?”
387 stammered in reply, [“That’s not entirely fair. The Devouring Shadow is part of the invading force, and it’s normal for players to be unable to afford it…”]
Gu Jiu’s eyes lit up with understanding. “I see. The Multiverse Game ensures that players can’t access items created by invading forces by pricing them exorbitantly—beyond what any player could afford. They’re only there to look at, not to buy. Am I right?”
[…]
387 nearly wanted to cover its face and run away, afraid to say another word, lest she strip away all pretense with her sharp logic.
Even though it wasn’t the one setting the rules, why did it always have to bear this undeserved shame?
In the end, Gu Jiu purchased three Puppet Rats, a Rusted Blood Axe, Xiao Hui’s Space Lock, and the Doll Lisa, spending a total of 5,200 points.
387 asked cautiously, [“Missy, you still have 2,500 points left. Are you sure you don’t want to buy anything else?”]
“No need,” Gu Jiu replied indifferently. “The rest are either too expensive or useless to me, and I can’t afford them anyway.”
As a perpetually broke player, she had learned to be content. Once the points were spent, there was no point in dwelling on what couldn’t be bought.
387 dared not press her further and instead asked ingratiatingly, [“Missy, will you head to the Boundless City next or return to the real world to rest?”]
“To the Boundless City!”
387 was about to send her there when Gu Jiu suddenly said, “387, I want to ask you something.”
[“Of course, Missy! Ask away. I’ll answer to the best of my ability.”]
Gu Jiu tilted her head thoughtfully before speaking. “You must’ve seen it. At the second station of the subway, I used the Death Painting to curse the unseen Puppet Man in order to obtain the station name…”
[“Yes! Fortunately, you acted in time, Missy. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have cleared the instance so quickly,”] 387 replied energetically. [“I had previously discussed this with other system stewards. They were all worried about their players. The longer players stayed in the Death Train, the more mentally repressed they became. If they didn’t clear the instance soon, they would likely collapse and choose self-destruction. Thankfully, you cleared the instance, or some of them might’ve ended their lives.”]
387 showered her with praise, clearly proud of its mistress. It was genuinely glad to have Gu Jiu as its player.
It had observed that Gu Jiu’s decision to use the Death Painting was based on her awareness of the players’ deteriorating mental state. If they didn’t clear the instance soon, more players would die—not at the hands of ghosts but by their own despair.
Gu Jiu’s expression remained calm as she said softly, “What happened to the Puppet Man I cursed?”
The red light on the metallic orb flickered briefly.
After a pause, 387 answered hesitantly, [“Missy, the Puppet Man was altered by the invading forces. They were your enemy. Choosing to kill them was the right decision. You don’t need to feel burdened or think that killing is wrong. It was necessary.”]
Gu Jiu smiled faintly. “Why won’t you answer me directly?”
387 fell silent again.
Missy was truly difficult to fool.
In the end, it could only tell the truth:
[“The Puppet Man cursed by the Death Painting was obliterated—its soul scattered with no chance of reincarnation. This wasn’t your fault. The Puppet Man chose this path. They never confronted players directly. However, for players to clear the instance and help the Death Train world repel the invading force, sacrifices had to be made. That’s also why, no matter what players do in the game world, the karmic consequences never come back to them.”]
Because players enter the game world to complete tasks and help eliminate anomalies, they are considered external forces invited by the game world. Naturally, they are not affected by the world’s karmic consequences.
After finishing his explanation, 387 cautiously observed Gu Jiu, puzzled as to why she cared so much about this topic.
Gu Jiu stood silently for a moment before asking, “What about beings directly tied to the game world?”
[“They would definitely be affected by karmic consequences.”] 387 replied matter-of-factly.
Gu Jiu nodded.
[“Missy, what’s wrong? Why are you suddenly asking about this?”]
Gu Jiu simply said it was nothing and then left the grey mist space.
—
“Missy!”
As soon as Gu Jiu entered the Boundless City, she heard several surprised and delighted voices.
Looking up, she saw Wan Xingzhou, Ruan Yuan, and Lu Haidi not far away, smiling brightly at her. They knew Gu Jiu often chose to appear in this spot upon entering the Boundless City, so they always waited there after clearing their instances.
Gu Jiu glanced ahead and finally saw Lu Ji standing under a peach tree. Amid the sea of pink blossoms, her thin black trench coat swayed slightly in the wind. Her jet-black eyes gleamed with delight as she looked over at her, a faint glow of light visible in them.
She walked toward her with light steps, but upon seeing the group of people gathered around her, her lips pressed tightly together, and she seemed slightly unhappy.
Wan Xingzhou inspected Gu Jiu from head to toe, then said with lingering fear, “Missy, why didn’t you and Ah Ji get on the train? When we saw you two still left behind, we were scared to death. We thought you couldn’t clear the instance!”
At the time, he’d nearly jumped off the train to join them.
Fortunately, Chai Yingying had stopped him and reminded him that as long as they had return tickets, players could board the next train whenever they wanted.
Gu Jiu casually brushed off his concern and turned to Ruan Yuan and the others, saying, “Ah Ji and I have something to take care of. We’ll head off first.”
Without waiting for a reply, she bypassed the group, grabbed Lu Ji’s hand, and led her away.
“Missy, wait up!” Ruan Yuan called after her. “I’m treating everyone to a late-night snack. Big Brother Qi and the others will be there too!”
Gu Jiu waved her hand dismissively. “You all go ahead.”
Before they could say anything more, she was already pulling Lu Ji down the alleyway, running farther and farther until they disappeared around a corner.
Left behind, the three looked at one another in confusion.
“Why did Missy leave? What’s going on with them?” Ruan Yuan asked, perplexed.
Lu Haidi and Wan Xingzhou were equally baffled.
Meanwhile, Gu Jiu pulled Lu Ji out of the peach blossom-lined alley and into a quieter one.
The stars sparkled brilliantly, a dense band of constellations stretching across the sky above the Boundless City. Under the dim streetlights, the tranquil atmosphere became even more serene—an ideal setting for a romantic outing.
Gradually, Gu Jiu slowed her pace.
Lu Ji matched her step, tilting his head to watch her the entire time.
“Ah Ji, why are you staring at me like that?” Gu Jiu asked, pretending not to know, her face serene and graceful under the starlight. Yet, the slight tilt of her chin carried a hint of charming confidence.
Lu Ji’s face flushed red again.
Why was he staring at her? Of course, it was because he wanted to. Because he thought she was beautiful.
Noticing her shy demeanor, like a bashful bride, Gu Jiu didn’t reflect on whether she was bullying her. Instead, she found it immensely amusing. She reached out to touch her face and asked, “Do you like me?”
“Yes!” she replied honestly.
“How much do you like me?”
“A lot! A lot!” She repeated “a lot” twice.
Gu Jiu chuckled softly, her laughter light and clear, like spring water trickling over stones.
Lu Ji’s ears turned an even deeper shade of red, his chest filling with a soft, warm feeling. His thoughts and will were entirely consumed by her presence and the faint floral scent around her.
The more he liked her, the less he wanted to deceive her.
Taking a deep breath, he suddenly grasped her hand.
Gu Jiu allowed him to hold her hand. Standing slightly elevated on the curb, she looked down at him, her expression lively and confident, her smile carefree. The faint scent of flowers lingered in the air.
Seeing her like this, his heart swelled with emotion. Finally, in a hoarse voice, he said, “Ah Jiu, I want to tell you something.”
Gu Jiu’s gaze lingered on his pale pink lips, her thoughts wandering. “Go ahead.”
“I’m actually a man.”
“…”
The alley seemed to grow even quieter, so silent that even the sound of breathing felt amplified.
After a moment, Gu Jiu calmly asked, “Ah Ji, what did you just say? I think I misheard you.”
Lu Ji repeated, “I’m actually a man, not a girl.” He sped up his explanation. “Ah Jiu, I didn’t mean to deceive you. I just thought dressing like this made things more convenient…”
Before he could finish, her hand, resting on his chest, interrupted him.
Gu Jiu calmly felt around and remarked, “Ah Ji, it’s normal for girls to have flat chests. That doesn’t prove anything.”
Lu Ji: “.…” That doesn’t prove anything, but…
Before he could say another word, her hand moved lower, to…
Lu Ji froze entirely, his body going rigid.