"But I don't want to. I really don't like this plot," Ximen Aotian said seriously.
Yue Shi's expression was strange, unsure of how to even evaluate the man. Finally, he could only manage three words: "You've gone mad."
Ximen Aotian burst into laughter, a sound tinged with desolation. It was as if, after being repeatedly crushed by destiny, he had finally given up the struggle and chosen to just let it all go to hell.
"Maybe so. Being mad is fine, too."
Ximen Aotian stopped his awkward laughter and narrowed his eyes, his voice laced with poison. "Do you know why I intentionally sent those useless scraps to their deaths? Why I could have sent everyone at once to surround and kill you, yet chose to send them one by one?"
Yue Shi raised an eyebrow.
"Because I hate them," Ximen Aotian said viciously.
"I shouldn't have children. They're just some background setting, leeches clinging to me to suck my blood. They act respectful on the surface, but behind my back, they can't wait for me to die."
"Every single one of them is waiting for me to grow old, waiting for me to become weak, waiting for someone to kill me so they can inherit my legacy."
"But they're clearly my peers! We're practically the same age, with only a twenty-year difference! Why should they get to comfortably play the role of my children, enjoy my protection, and plot against me at the same time?"
"So, I deliberately sent them to die. According to the plot, they would have been killed by you sooner or later anyway."
Yue Shi clicked his tongue in wonder. "Your mental state is truly fascinating."
Ximen Aotian admitted it frankly. "Indeed. If it were you, you would definitely be even more fascinating."
"I don't want to continue performing in this boring play. Head of the family, villainous Boss, the rise and fall of a clan—none of these things mean anything to me. I only want to be myself, a carefree, eternal god."
"But this world won't give me that chance. I'm tired. Even my current awakening to the Fourth Wall might very well be something the Creator forced upon me, rather than my own thought."
"So, I've decided to just give up. I'm going to do stupid things, and I'm going to disgust everyone. Since I can't escape my own destiny, then before I reach the end, I'm going to make everyone miserable!"
Ximen Aotian's words were full of malice. "At least this time, it should be my own choice, not the script's."
Yue Shi replied, "Who knows? What if 'resisting destiny' is also destiny's arrangement?"
Ximen Aotian looked at Yue Shi, his expression becoming extremely serious. "Let me ask you a question."
Yue Shi was sparing with his words. "Speak."
Ximen Aotian asked, "If you suddenly discovered one day that you were just words in a novel, just a string of game code, and all your actions were controlled by some author or player... what would you do?"
The surroundings went silent for a few seconds as a breeze blew in from the distance. Without anyone noticing, Snow Leopard had already hidden behind Yue Shi, its tail hooked around Yue Shi's ankle.
Yue Shi didn't hesitate for a moment, not even stopping to think before the answer slipped out: "I wouldn't care."
Ximen Aotian was stunned. "What?"
Yue Shi's tone was flat, his lips curling upward with no sympathy for Ximen Aotian. "After all, I'm the one who benefits."
"If I'm words in a novel, then I'm the protagonist. The author will make me win, and the readers will like me. The more people I kill, the more excited they'll get. I can do whatever I want without any consequences because I'm 'set' to never lose."
"If I'm code in a game, then I'm the one with the cheats. Everyone else's destiny is written out, but my destiny is whatever I want it to be."
"So, you ask me if I'm afraid? Haha, why would I be afraid? I'm too busy enjoying myself!"
Ximen Aotian stared blankly at Yue Shi, his lips trembling, unable to speak.
He had never imagined Yue Shi would say such a thing. This man didn't just not care; he was actually glad to be the beneficiary.
Yue Shi took a step forward, his evil energy surging as black mist spread from beneath his feet. "If you want to let it all go to hell, that's your business. No matter what unique perception you have of this world, it doesn't stop me from wanting to kill you. That is my pleasure."
"You think your awakening makes you unique and different, the only pitiful person who has seen through the truth."
"But you're still standing here talking nonsense to me instead of running away immediately. Deep down, you probably know that you can't escape. Even if you give up and don't follow the script, the ending still won't change."
"You think you're resisting destiny, but you're actually just walking toward the same finish line in a different way."
"Perhaps," Ximen Aotian gave a pale, bitter smile.
The next second, his gaze suddenly became sharp, and a golden light erupted from his eyes. "Alright, talk-battle time is over. I won't easily submit to destiny until the very last moment."
...
On the other side, Zhou Ping had already entered the Deep Red Continent.
When his feet touched the ground, he froze for several seconds.
The streets were filled with living people, and his lungs were filled with real air as he breathed.
The internet said the realism of this game was extremely high, but those posts were just pictures or videos. No matter how vivid they were, they couldn't compare to experiencing it firsthand.
Zhou Ping squatted down and touched the road with his finger. A coarse, grainy texture came from his fingertip, exactly the same as the sensation of touching the ground in the real world.
He stood up and brushed the dust off his fingers. He hadn't entered the game for sightseeing; he had to find that long-haired man first—the root cause of the spread of the Nightmare Sickness.
There were many discussion threads about Tulip Security Company on the game forum. Some said it was the most mysterious place in Liming City, and that the company's boss was a hidden NPC from whom one could receive special missions that ordinary players couldn't.
Zhou Ping had already scrolled through these posts several times, memorizing all the information he could gather.
Following the map's guidance, he crossed several streets and found the location of Tulip Security Company.
When he pushed the door open and entered, there was no one at the front desk.
A few scattered players were in the office hall, the names above their heads glowing brightly.
Zhou Ping glanced at those names and then looked away. He wasn't used to these kinds of messy game nicknames, but he also knew that in this world, a nickname might be more useful than a true name.
A young man with the name 【Jian Lai】 walked out of an office, looking as if he had just woken up.
"Who are you? What do you want?" 【Jian Lai】 was relatively polite.
Zhou Ping stated directly that he wanted to find the boss.
A light flickered in 【Jian Lai】's eyes. "The boss is out. I don't know when he'll be back. If there's something you need, you can tell me. I'm the Acting Boss."
Zhou Ping said, "It's nothing important. I've just started playing this game and wanted to walk around and take a look."
Rate on N.U.
