Global Collapse-Chapter 515 - 484: Wishing Everyone a Happy 520 Always Single_1
Beneath the sunlight, which wasn’t particularly harsh, Accompany Me Next Year sized up the disheveled children in front of her.
"Another newcomer," she heard these children, only waist-high to her, spew out venom in their voices, their expressions indistinct, backlit as they were.
A newcomer? So, has this place always been the filming location for the variety show? 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
That means quite a number of people have been here before her.
So, where did all those people go then?
As Accompany Me Next Year pondered, the children who barely reached her waist stared at her coldly, issuing an impatient command, "Come here."
Next Year furrowed her brow. The NPCs in this instance were extremely unsettling, yet they acted so entitled, as if it were only natural.
After a moment’s hesitation, Next Year stepped forward.
SPLAT! She hadn’t taken more than a few steps before something hurtled toward her from the side, deliberately striking her hair.
Stunned, Next Year reached out to touch the affected area. It was damp and seemed to be mud, carrying a somewhat unpleasant odor. A wave of derisive laughter resounded from the children. The laughter jolted Next Year. A chill ran down her spine as she turned to look at the production crew behind her. All of them were staring at her with malevolent gazes, their eyes holding unconcealed, mocking amusement, as if they had anticipated this all along.
She looked around at the crowd filled with ill intent and stepped back slightly. What on earth is this instance...
"This world primarily afflicts your spirit, unlike other instances where players frantically flee for their lives. The Old World’s spiritual torment is quite intense, manifested as..."
At this moment, Fatty was engrossed in reading a long message sent by Xiao Qiao in the cheat group. Unexpectedly, Xiao Qiao demonstrated a deep understanding of the Old World. Not long after Fatty had raised his doubts, she had begun sending lengthy messages to explain.
However, Fatty felt that the tone of this information didn’t quite resemble Xiao Qiao’s, but rather someone else’s.
While reading Xiao Qiao’s message, Fatty, bewildered, typed out a new message.
[Fat Son]: Miss Xiao Qiao, may I ask why you are so well-versed in this world?
A response appeared in the chat within seconds.
[Xiao Qiao]: It wasn’t my research. I asked someone who’s been in this instance.
Asked someone? Fatty finally understood. Xiao Qiao just happened to know someone who’s been in this instance. Isn’t that a bit too coincidental?
Unbeknownst to Fatty, this wasn’t a coincidence. Xiao Qiao had utilized her special item—
[Big Data Search]
[Description: Are you troubled by not being able to find what you’re looking for? Have you forgotten where you put something important? Use our Big Data Search to ease your troubles.]
[Function: Input your desired item, and the map will display the location of the nearest such item to you. Due to the cumbersome Big Data scanning process, this item can be used only once a week.]
Xiao Qiao had used [Big Data Search] to search for "Players who’ve entered the Metamorphosis instance."
This special item was obtained from an instance called "Rich Man."
Luckily, the College Entrance Exam instance had recently concluded, and many players were gathered there. So, indeed, she managed to find a player who had been in the Metamorphosis instance.
The user’s nickname was "You Hit Me For Debt."
She advanced towards the target’s location, and in little more than ten minutes, she apprehended the player. The term "apprehended" couldn’t be more fitting, as the player detected by the search was now bound hand and foot, while she held him by the back of his collar, interrogating him.
None of the players who participated in the College Entrance Exam activity were alone. This abducted "You Hit Me For Debt" wasn’t solitary either; he had three companions.
It’s worth mentioning that just a moment before, they had been fretting in the rental house they had managed to find with great difficulty. Their Game Coins were nearly depleted, and the remaining food was not enough to satisfy their hunger. In the next instant, their door was kicked open with such force that the entire building shuddered thrice; even the old-fashioned ceiling fan overhead vibrated with the sound. Just when the four thought there had been an explosion, they looked up to see a familiar face outside their door.
Almost everyone recognized Xiao Qiao’s face. Even elderly people with little interest in contemporary TV dramas could recall and name a few famous figures upon seeing her, though not always correctly. A celebrity who usually only appeared on TV had suddenly materialized before their eyes. Just when they thought they were dreaming, they saw this superstar stride in with remarkable boldness and grab Yao Zhai.
Xiao Qiao’s face, usually expressionless on screen, appeared even more frighteningly blank now.
Seeing someone seize Yao Zhai with such a terrifying expression, the other three naturally wouldn’t just stand aside and watch. They immediately charged forward out of loyalty. But those who rushed forward all ended up sprawled on the ground, leaving only Yao Zhai, still grabbed by Xiao Qiao’s collar, barely standing.
Yao Zhai looked up, wobbling. He had never thought the actress so active on TV screens could be this terrifying. He recalled how, back in the day, he too had followed the trend and disparaged Xiao Qiao as a "vase" a few times. Looking at the broken door nearby and his three teammates groaning on the ground, Yao Zhai now just wanted to find a vase and smash it over his own head.
Deeply regretting his past actions, he cautiously looked up at the actress, trying to figure out what she wanted. He saw Xiao Qiao slightly open her mouth, as if about to ask him something. Feeling the tension on his tightened collar, he pricked up his ears to listen, but after hearing her words clearly, his mind went BOOM, completely stunned.
Metamorphosis... Metamorphosis...
That was an instance he didn’t want to recall. If possible, he wished he’d never have anything to do with this instance again, never even mention it for the rest of his life. But he hadn’t expected that today he would be grabbed and forced to recall the events of that instance.
...
At this point, Yao Zhai had been interrogated by Xiao Qiao for ten minutes. Just as he was wondering, amidst his fear, why this female star was asking about such things, he heard Xiao Qiao’s voice from above, "...Stop daydreaming. Speak."
He shivered before he began to speak again.
"At first, we didn’t understand the instance’s mechanics. We worried every day that ghosts would appear, but our worries never materialized, right up to the end.
"Later, we gradually figured out the instance. It had no ghosts, but the harm to players was quite significant.
"In there, we players were divided into two groups. The slightly stronger ones would be sent away for ’transformation’... which basically meant enduring endless humiliation. We couldn’t resist, absolutely could not resist. The task was to complete the filming, and only a successful transformation counted as completing it. Resistance would only prolong the instance’s duration... possibly indefinitely, and we might never have been able to leave that instance...
"In that instance, I was in the weaker group, the one sent to experience life in wealthy families. After figuring out the instance’s mechanics, I felt sympathetic towards the stronger group because all the negative attention was directed at them. Our group, due to our perceived weakness, was only shown sympathy and treated kindly...
"That’s what I thought at first, but I soon discovered that things weren’t actually like that. Actually..."
Saying this, Yao Zhai shivered again before continuing.
"You are always being watched."
Reading these seven words that had just arrived, Fatty was taken aback.
You are always being watched?
What does that mean?
And just then, he heard You Si behind him say, "Don’t you find it strange? Where on earth has the lady of this house gone?"
Fatty’s mind blanked.
You are always being watched... the disappeared lady of the house...
At this moment, he suddenly felt something staring at him from behind. He stiffened his neck and turned to look.
In the dark crevice under the bed, an eye was staring fixedly at him.
