Chapter 1242: The Person Sent By Bonnie Bunny
The former security guard's figure gradually receded on the circular mountain road until he became invisible to Lin Sanjiu's vision. The cool breeze swept across the sky silently, leaving behind rows of swaying green trees and shrubs. She shivered and then snapped back to reality, as if some kind of spell had suddenly been lifted.
During the few minutes she had silently stared at the Elevator Man, he had been equally engrossed in looking at the pendant in his hand.
There wasn't really anything interesting to see. After all, it was reality, not a TV show. No one would cut out the dull and superfluous scenes. For several minutes, the withered woman inside the elevator just leaned against the elevator door without moving, while the numbers on the elevator screen continued to rise: 24690, 24691... Yet, the former security guard seemed quite enthusiastic and couldn't help but explain some of the rules of the elevator pocket dimension, as if he were a sports commentator discussing a player's history.
As they prepared to part ways, Lin Sanjiu considered for a few seconds whether to kill him.
Just at that moment, the former security guard made eye contact with her and suddenly said, "Although it's not as terrifying as that pocket dimension, that elevator in the hospital was really dangerous, wasn't it?" Then, he casually tossed the pendant back into his collar; his expression was neither relaxed nor serious, as if they were just chatting about the weather.
"Alright, I should go. Thank you for accompanying me," he said.
Her thoughts were interrupted, and at this moment, Lin Sanjiu couldn't find the words to respond. She couldn't nod either; she just stood there and watched as he waved and bent down to say goodbye, then turned and walked away towards the road, quickly disappearing from her line of sight.
...Even though he was not watching what happened in that pocket dimension, it was still happening. Those people who died in the elevator had nothing to do with the former security guard with average combat abilities. He not only didn't harm anyone, but he even saved them once in the hospital elevator.
However, for the first time, Lin Sanjiu had contemplated killing someone who posed no threat to her.
One advantage of the doomsday was that in a place where constraints, empathy, and humanity were gradually fading away, the most straightforward way to solve potential problems was to kill the person causing the problem. Power allowed for the utmost arrogance.
The only thing that prevented her from acting was a faint voice in her mind trying to reason with her: had this person really done something deserving of death? It was a human life. Did she have the right to decide whether to take a life or not?
When she turned around and started walking back, Lin Sanjiu couldn't help but smile bitterly.
No matter who it was, after hearing what she had just heard, they would probably have acted immediately. Even Hei Zeji wouldn't have hesitated; Gong Daoyi probably wouldn't be interested in someone who was already "broken," and the grand prize wouldn't have allowed him to live from the beginning.
Only she... Only in her presence did the former security guard finally reveal some of his true self, speak a few truths, and leave without worry.
"What's with that look?"
Bohemia had run up to her, stopped, and sensed that something was wrong. Her instincts might not be as sharp as the former security guard's, but they were still sensitive enough. She turned and looked in the direction of the empty road in the distance, then suddenly said, "If you don't like that sort of person, just kill him. Why be so downcast?"
"Nothing... Just keep being yourself; don't change." Lin Sanjiu squeezed her hand amidst Bohemia's mumbled comment that sounded like 'Are you mocking me?' and walked towards the dark figure standing ahead.
The highway was swallowed by the mountains about a dozen miles west of Bear City. Walking on the silent and deserted road, no matter where she looked, under the pale gray sky, there were endless rolling green mountains. It was strange that the fewer human traces there were, the more reassuring it felt. After picking a good spot by the roadside with a view of the deep green valley, Lin Sanjiu took out her tent.
"Why do you have so many things?" Bohemia asked, on all fours, crawling into an orange tent and then crawling back out. "I want this! Oh, of course, if sir doesn't mind."
Puppeteer certainly didn't mind – he waited for the two of them to set up the tent and build a fire before slowly taking out his camping gear. Countless boards, supports, ropes, and fabrics were piled on the ground, and they suddenly came to life, rapidly forming a 'second floor' not far away. Looking into the deep black curtain that was never closed, one could vaguely see a large, soft bed.
Lin Sanjiu poked her head out of the tent fabric and felt that the ground beneath her was uncomfortably hard.
"Do you... have any more of these?"
Puppeteer responded with a cold laugh to this delusion and disappeared behind the curtain.
After settling everything and recording the campsite's location, Lin Sanjiu was ready to head back to Bear City. She had hoped for Bohemia's company on her journey, but to her surprise, Bohemia, after weighing the options between Lava and Puppeteer, chose Puppeteer. She simply replied, "Not going."
Once again, she was on her own, and it felt very uncomfortable. Lin Sanjiu turned around several times, not looking back until the camp's shadow became smaller and smaller.
This trip took a full two days. She wandered on the road outside of Bear City, trying to send out signals and even shouting to some Lava players, but it seemed that no one had seen a cat here.
'Do the rules that affect humans not apply to animals?' Lin Sanjiu thought with some apprehension. Otherwise, the hospital should have been filled with sparrows, crickets, and stray dogs injured by Lava... There was a good chance that Dr. Hu had already safely left this place.
Upon careful consideration, the likelihood of encountering Meowie Hu again was actually greater than encountering a particular person again. Most of the resources in the doomsday were open to Meowie Hu. As long as it was willing, it could stay in Twelve Worlds for a lifetime, waiting for Lin Sanjiu to come knocking.
Thinking of this possibility, Lin Sanjiu breathed a sigh of relief.
In some remote corner of this vast world, Dr. Hu must still be alive. This possibility brought a semblance of ease to Lin Sanjiu's mind. Much like the fragmented human societies after the doomsday, she too had shattered into innumerable pieces; with every new human connection, a fragment would reattach, piecing her back together.
Perched on the hillside next to an abandoned building, she overlooked Bear City. Her thoughts meandered until a distant figure, rapidly approaching up the hill, snapped her back to reality. Instinctively, she retreated towards the road, aware that Lava players were confined to their area until mission completion. Even if the other person had malicious intent, they couldn't follow her onto the road.
"Help, help!" The distant cry of a man was carried and then lost to the wind, dissipating like the last echo of a fading melody. Lin Sanjiu focused on the small figure in the distance, growing steadily larger and more distinct. The person was sprinting towards her, one hand flailing desperately, crying out, "Please, someone is chasing me!"
Lin Sanjiu stood up straight and watched intently as the man neared, halting abruptly beside the abandoned building just short of the road. Clearly, he was unaware that this spot marked the game's exit. His ignorance mattered little; even if he knew, it wouldn't change his predicament. As he approached the road's edge, his face suddenly blanched.
"Is this... the boundary?" He rubbed his face vigorously, his eyes scanning his surroundings in disbelief. "I have nowhere to go?"
Observing the strands of hair fluttering past his cheek, Lin Sanjiu mused about the grand prize. Rare were men with such long hair, rarer still those with features as delicate and refined as a woman's. Yet, in comparison to Ji Shanqing, his visage seemed overly pale and indistinct, almost as though a mere gust could whisk him away.
"Aren't you out of Lava now?" His eyes, wide with fear, flickered towards Lin Sanjiu, betraying his confusion. "Or don't you know this is Lava? In that case, you mustn't cross the road," he said, his voice tinged with panic, gesturing frantically. "This is a different doomsday, where Lava's location is unknown, and players are hunted relentlessly... Ah!"
Suddenly, realization dawned on him.
"No, I can't talk to you," he said, looking around hurriedly. He had not noticed until now that he was the only one speaking. "She'll be catch up soon."
"Is Bonnie Bunny the one chasing you?" Lin Sanjiu asked.
The long-haired man froze, then absentmindedly tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. His eyes shone with an innocent, watery glint, and he exuded the aura of a small, naive animal unaware of human dangers. He looked confused yet oddly trusting as he blurted out, "Huh? How did you know?"
In Lava, Bonnie Bunny was infamous for her relentless pursuit, always sending players to the hospital.
Gazing into the distance, Lin Sanjiu could see a shadow rocketing towards them, its formidable power palpable even from afar. If Bonnie Bunny closed the gap, Lin Sanjiu knew she wouldn't have time to save the man with the long hair. She extended her hand quickly, whispering, "Grab my hand, I'll pull you over."
"Huh?" He looked startled, as if jolted from a dream. In this critical moment, he still sought to explain, "I can't do that. You see, as a player, I can't get out—"
"Grab me," Lin Sanjiu interrupted, urgency lacing her voice as Bonnie Bunny drew nearer. "Quick!"
The man with the flowing locks reacted with surprise, yet he reached out his hand. As their skin met, Lin Sanjiu involuntarily shivered at the coldness of his touch. Without hesitation, she tightened her grip on his icy hand, pulling him onto the road. On the hillside, the shadow of Bonnie Bunny halted abruptly, as though in disbelief at the scene unfolding before her.
"What's going on?"
The long-haired man glanced at his own hand, then peered over to survey the hillside below. He carried no scent – no trace of sweat or the usual odors from a long run, and his hair remained smooth, untouched by dust. Lin Sanjiu had the surreal impression that if she stepped towards him, she might simply pass through him like a breeze through an open window.
"How was I able to come out here?" He tilted his head, a mix of confusion and curiosity in his eyes, even considering a hesitant wave to Bonnie Bunny below. "Is this still part of Lava?"
"Your name is Yuan Xiangxi, isn't it?" Lin Sanjiu's voice was gentle yet firm, her gaze resting on him.
"How do you know all this?" Yuan Xiangxi's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Do you know a woman named Gardenia?"
For a moment, Yuan Xiangxi seemed lost in thought, then his face lit up with a smile, like a white petal suddenly blown open by the wind. "I do!"
"She had a few things to say to you," Lin Sanjiu said. She inhaled deeply and steadied herself before meeting his gaze. "You're already dead. You've been dead for quite some time."
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