The game becomes reality: Black Myth invades the real world.

Chapter 37 A Twist of Fate? Turning Danger into Safety?

After sending dozens of messages without receiving a reply, Song Shuangwei realized that Chen Fu was experiencing a special plot.

This was information she obtained from her conglomerate. Only when the person involved was separated could the outside world receive his information, much like turning on Do Not Disturb mode while playing a game.

To find out Chen Fu's current situation, Song Shuangwei immediately jumped out of bed and prepared to go to his dormitory to find him.

The two schools were not far apart, only a few minutes' walk away, but Song Shuangwei was stopped at the dormitory entrance.

The dormitory supervisor said that girls are not allowed to enter the boys' dormitory unless they are members of the student council.

Song Shuang was slightly bewildered. What era are we living in? Why are you still talking about this?

She wanted to climb in through the window, but it wasn't night yet, and a lot of students were coming and going. If she got caught, the situation would only get worse.

Left with no other option, Song Shuangwei called the Wujiang District Headquarters of the Paranormal Investigation Bureau. As a member of the conglomerate, she had contact information for all districts of the Paranormal Investigation Bureau.

The person who answered the phone was an ordinary staff member. Upon hearing that it was related to Chen Fu, he immediately reported it to Zhou Jianbang.

In less than ten minutes, Zhou Jianbang brought Du Fanyu to the dormitory building where Chen Fu was located.

"How's the situation now?"

Zhou Jianbang noticed that Song Shuangwei's expression was very tense, her face was unusually pale, and her eyes were unfocused, as if she were an ant on a hot pan, pacing back and forth.

"I entered the Legend of the White Snake instance with him and encountered an unexpected situation. I have now successfully completed the instance, but I have not received any reply to my messages to him."

Song Shuangwei quickly told the truth, as the saying goes, concern makes one confused, and she was afraid that Chen Fu would encounter danger.

"What?! The Legend of the White Snake!"

Zhou Jianbang's voice suddenly rose several decibels; if there hadn't been students passing by, he would have jumped up.

Didn't I say not to enter the Legend of the White Snake instance recently? How come I still went in?

Zhou Jianbang quickly realized that he must have been randomly assigned to the Legend of the White Snake. If he didn't go in, he would miss an opportunity to improve and fall far behind others in terms of progress.

At this stage, which player would be willing to waste a week for no reason? Absolutely not!

"Now that you're out, Chen Fu should be alright, right?"

Standing to the side, Du Fanyu comforted him, saying that he was not a player and did not have permission to log in to the Spirit Investigation Bureau forum. He was unaware of what was going on inside and was simply expressing his personal opinion.

"Not necessarily." Zhou Jianbang shook his head: "There's another possibility, which is that Chen Fu is going through a special storyline. Although he has saved Song Shuangwei from danger, he hasn't cleared the level himself yet."

This aligns with what Song Shuangwei knew: the strategies the conglomerate possessed, the Spirit Investigation Bureau also had.

As the head of the Wujiang District of the Investigation Bureau, Zhou Jianbang's requirement for himself is that while his skills may not be the most outstanding, he must be the most knowledgeable about the game. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to help his teammates when they encounter danger.

Based on this concept, Zhou Jianbang was able to recite all kinds of strategies by heart, and he quickly came up with a solution to the current situation.

"Wait a minute for me," he said, then took out his phone and started making a call.

This call wasn't to the Bureau of Investigation's headquarters in Yanjing, but to someone who had just gotten off a plane and arrived in Jiangcheng.

"Minister Zhang, hello! I'm Zhou Jianbang, the head of Wujiang District in Jiangcheng. I have a situation I'd like to report. A colleague of mine has entered the Legend of the White Snake instance and is currently experiencing a special storyline. Do you have any way to get him out?"

The Minister Zhang mentioned by Zhou Jianbang is named Zhang Mingyuan, who is 25 years old this year.

Zhang Mingyuan is a disciple of the Quanzhen School on the forum, whose profession is Quanzhen Longmen, and whose title of "Minister" is given by the Spirit Investigation Bureau.

His posts on the forum were considered gospel, and he always attracted a large following of players from all over the world whenever he went out. Whether it was his power in real life or his strength in the game, he was far ahead of everyone else.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the future belongs to him; and in a decade or so, the position of Director of the Spirit Investigation Bureau will also be his.

"Didn't I tell you not to watch The Legend of the White Snake?" A young voice came from the receiver, almost identical to Zhou Jianbang's reaction just now.

Then, Zhang Mingyuan realized the problem and his tone became casual: "It's hopeless, just wait to die."

"You...you..." Zhou Jianbang almost cursed. "What do you mean 'waiting to die'? Those are my men! Fine, you won't tell me the method, but why curse them?!"

Suppressing his anger, Zhou Jianbang patiently asked, "Minister Zhang, this colleague is very important to us. Is there really no way to deal with him?"

His tone was very soft.

Let me tell you the actual situation.

Zhang Mingyuan patiently recounted what he had discovered through his skills.

"You've been to the Legend of the White Snake instance before, so you should know that it's divided into three factions that don't interact with each other. That's why you were able to get the loot and then retreat."

But things are different now. I saw the future once through my skills and discovered that a conflict had broken out between Buddhism and demons, and the human race had become the victim.

You can interpret this as Fahai trying to suppress the White Snake, and the White Snake flooding Jinshan Temple.

In other words, the fighting inside is already raging. Any player who goes in will definitely be affected.

You know how difficult the dungeon is. Forget about getting hit by a stick, even just being looked at could kill you.

How am I supposed to save you? Back in Yanjing, there were a few players who died as soon as they entered.

I wouldn't dare make a move at this time. If you're so capable, go find someone else.

Zhang Mingyuan's words were as cold as knives, stabbing Zhou Jianbang's heart again and again.

Zhou Jianbang's brows furrowed and relaxed repeatedly. He wanted to speak several times, but he simply didn't know what to say.

Finally, he sighed softly, "If I report this to the bureau chief, is there anything I can do?"

He would never give up on Chen Fu! Even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance, he would choose to save this promising young man!

"Captain Zhou, are you serious?" Zhang Mingyuan was somewhat surprised. Could it be that the person the other party wanted to save was a blood relative? Otherwise, why would he be so concerned?

"Chen Fu is the best player in our Wujiang District, and I will never stand by and watch him die."

Zhou Jianbang said in a deep voice, his tone unusually firm.

"Let's talk about it when I get there. I'm trying to hail a taxi at the airport."

After Zhang Mingyuan finished speaking, he hung up the phone, picked up his suitcase, sat down at the airport entrance, and began to vividly recount the incident in a WeChat group.

He knew that Chen Fu was a recently emerged player with a great reputation, and players in Yanjing had also discussed him.

But so what?

Ultimately, he was just a newbie who encountered the unexpected events of the Legend of the White Snake instance. So what if he died? Someone will always take his place.

Zhou Jianbang hung up the phone silently. He knew Zhang Mingyuan was going to give him the cold shoulder, so he immediately called again.

After a few busy tones, the phone was answered, and an aged voice came through: "Jianbang? Is there something you need?"

This is the director of the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation, who oversees all personnel of the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation nationwide.

Zhou Jianbang succinctly explained the situation, his words conveying his determination to save Chen Fu.

The director of the Spirits Investigation Bureau remained silent after hearing this.

In reality, given the sheer scale of the system, the life or death of a new player is of little importance.

But he also knew Zhou Jianbang's character. Despite his serious appearance, he was prone to acting on emotion and extremely protective of his subordinates.

From his perspective, this matter is actually quite easy to handle.

Should they use a one in ten thousand chance to save this new player and increase Zhou Jianbang's sense of belonging to the Investigation Bureau? Or should they rationally handle the situation and leave it alone, without wasting a single resource?

Finally, the bureau chief gave the answer.

"Go into the game and claim your items. The organization will never abandon any colleague."

"Thank you, Director!"

Zhou Jianbang felt a warmth in his heart. Since the director had said so, all he had to do was wait.

……

How should I choose?

Chen Fu was still struggling with the decision, feeling that neither option seemed quite right.

Is this a dead end?

That can't be right. Judging from the two dungeons he experienced, although they were dangerous, there was always a glimmer of hope in the most desperate situations. They wouldn't force players to die.

How about we choose the first option? What's the Sea of ​​Hope's reaction?

Just as Chen Fu was about to tap the screen, the game text updated.

"Coroner's Walker Ability, triggered."

"You saw Xu Xian's soul; he was standing beside Fahai, staring intently at him."

"When you looked over, Xu Xian noticed you too."

"He is very grateful for everything you have done. If it weren't for you, Fahai might still not know why he died."

"Xu Xian suggests you choose the first option; leave the rest to him."

If that's what I'm thinking, then there's nothing to hesitate about... Chen Fu thought to himself, and made his choice.

What he didn't know was that if it were someone else, the game text wouldn't mention two options at all; it would only give the choice to let Fahai enter the ancient well.

All of this is the result of the paranormal events escalating.

"Fahai looked at you and said that such is the cycle of cause and effect; he himself sowed the seeds, and he must bear the consequences. But now that Xu Xian's body is not yet cold, how can he abandon him and face the monk's resentment?"

"In that case, there's only one way to go: he begs you to enter the ancient well and keep the monk company."

What? Xu Xian, you pretty boy, you tricked me, didn't you...? Chen Fu was stunned. Didn't you say you were going to help? Hurry up and get moving.

"Fahai suppressed his internal injuries and began chanting scriptures to you. In his eyes, your actions were no different from those of a demon."

"You have acquired a negative status, Great Buddha's Crown Shurangama Mantra."

"Stone Monkey's Gaze, activated."

"The Shurangama Mantra has not had any effect on you."

"Fahai keenly sensed this and raised his hand, saying that the only way to subdue the demon was through physical means."

"At that moment, Fahai sensed a subtle fluctuation. He turned his head to look beside him, and even though he couldn't see anything, he could still feel a gentle, spring-like aura."

"That's the person he loves."

"Fahai closed his eyes to sense it, and after a moment he opened them again. He no longer harbored any hostility towards you. Knowing that he was deeply sinful, he clasped his hands together, bowed to you, and voluntarily jumped into the ancient well."

Is it over? Chen Fu thought to himself, what a twist of fate. If it weren't for the stone monkey's gaze and Xu Xian's presence, he would definitely have died this time.

"After an incense stick's time, Fahai leaped out of the ancient well, holding a luminous round bead in his hand. As the bead left, the ancient well lost its previous mystique, and the monk's soul dissipated. You realized that this was the root of everything—crystallized, cold, damp vapor."

"Fahai placed this item on Xu Xian's chest so that he could travel in peace. He bid you farewell, thanked you for everything you had done, and finally said that he was going to cleanse himself of the sins he had committed in this life, before turning and heading towards the back temple."

Those two Nan Tong are really disgusting. Luckily, it's over... Chen Fu felt so tired. After the plot changed, the difficulty of multiplayer dungeons was too great. No matter how careful you are, you will still encounter danger.

He waited for the game text to update, wanting to see what kind of rewards he would receive besides the treasures he had collected.

However, there is one thing that is quite strange.

When I first arrived at the Washhouse, the text indicated there was a gigantic skeleton that resembled neither a dragon nor a snake. This time, it said the skeleton had been disturbed. But so far, nothing has happened.

Chen Fu had a feeling that something else was waiting for him behind him.

as predicted.

The game text didn't start the settlement process; instead, it moved on to something else.

"Your actions in helping Fahai and Xu Xian have enraged a soul that is about to be reincarnated."

"The enormous skeleton, which resembled neither a dragon nor a snake, began to tremble. Within its empty, dark eye sockets, eerie flames flickered, revealing a strong sense of resentment."

"An almost transparent soul emerged from it; it was a woman. She looked at you, her voice filled with resentment, and asked, 'You helped them, but what about me?'"

"Sister Bai, how would I know what to do? I'm just making choices based on the game text. Actually, deep down I don't want to do this at all..." Chen Fu blinked, realizing the problem.

Before entering the instance, there's a faction selection phase. He chose Buddhism, and the storyline revolves around Jinshan Temple, which is also his starting location.

It would definitely be different if you chose a monster or a human.

Take a monster as an example. He might be born in another place, but be gradually led to the laundry house, where he will discover a huge skeleton.

This also explains why the remains had been disturbed; there must have been other players nearby!

So what should we do now? We're not on the same side, and although I sympathize with your situation, there's really nothing I can do to help.

Besides, I have absolutely no desire to get involved in your love triangle. How about we each compromise, I'll pretend I didn't see anything, and you let me go, okay?

"How will you answer this soul-searching question? Will you steadfastly defend your current camp, compromise and yield, say one thing in public and do another while secretly trying to escape, or empathize with and understand the other party's plight?"

This time there are actually four options.

Chen Fu finally realized that so many options must have appeared after the supernatural event was upgraded.

He quickly thought about it and, based on his previous idea, chose the fourth one.

I'm very reasonable. Your fate is truly regrettable. If it were me, I would have beaten those two bitches to death! But now that it's happened, and you're dead, go where you belong. Don't come out and make things difficult for an ordinary person like me.

"Faced with reassurance, the soul roared, 'I need no pity, no sympathy! I want all those who have hurt me to die!'"

"The chosen one, you've become the first target."

"The power of vows stored within the patchwork robe of merit was quickly exhausted."

"Her soul has lost its former power. She was already broken and on the verge of collapse. This time, her all-out attack on you has left her with no chance of reincarnation. In no time, she will be completely destroyed and disappear from this world."

"But hatred had made her disregard all other considerations. She suppressed you, rendering you unable to move, and summoned her clansmen to attack you."

"This fellow clansman is also a chosen one. You two, sharing the same bloodline, saw each other's nicknames. The Chosen One is his title, while he saw your name, that of an unknown nobody."

"The Chosen One attacked you without any hesitation."

"Suppressed by your soul, you have no chance to retaliate and are powerless to withstand the relentless attacks."

"You were killed by the chosen one."

"You are dead... The mountains are silent, activate."

The players hiding here have made their move! Chen Fu was speechless for a moment.

But he also knew that, whether in the game or in a dungeon, players could not always live in peace. Moreover, this was a multiplayer dungeon, which encouraged fighting each other to seize treasures. If someone had the chance, he would definitely be attacked.

"You feel excruciating pain in your body, and perhaps in one more moment, you will die completely."

"How do you plan to deal with this? Will you use the items you've acquired to fight back, avoid their sharp edge and find an opportunity to flee in panic, or kneel down and beg for mercy so they won't kill you?"

Chen Fu pondered for a moment.

The last two are completely unnecessary to look at.

Should I avoid his sharp edge?!

Although Bai Suzhen's experience is very sympathetic, why should I be the one who gets hurt in the end?

That player, do you dare to change the environment and have a head-on battle?

Despite the pain that the game was transmitting to his real body, Chen Fu gritted his teeth and resolutely clicked the first option.

Are you taking advantage of my imprisonment? Are you taking advantage of my inability to fight back?

At worst, we'll both perish.

Come on! Let's see who dies first!