MMPS Ch. 62

Chapter 62: Tearing Off the Disguise

Ji Nian laid on the ground, tilting his head to look up at Yu An’s face. There was no extreme expression, but the anger in his eyes was unmistakable.

A transparent screen slipped out of Yu An’s pocket, clattering to the ground. Ji Nian picked it up and examined it. It was the Affection Meter.

“What’s this? Did you secretly test your team leader?” Ji Nian held the screen up. “Did you do it while he was on the cable?”

The screen clearly displayed four words: “Just for fun.”

“Huh? What does that mean?” Ji Nian’s heart sank as he thought about Yu An’s strange behavior around Team Leader Zhao. “Oh no, don’t tell me…”

Just looking at Team Leader Zhao’s face, it was clear he wasn’t straight. Who would have thought he’d also engage in inappropriate relationships with his interns?

The higher-ups at Underground Metro were rotten to the core. Ji Nian pinched the Affection Meter with two fingers, feeling disgusted just touching it.

Yu An’s brain, which had momentarily shut down, finally rebooted. He spoke in a low voice. “Can the people outside see our identity cards in advance?”

“Yong Zheng can see them through the code.”

“Zhao Ran… He didn’t stay behind to guard the interns’ real bodies. He came in because he saw my card and was afraid I’d kill everyone to ensure my own survival.”

Yu An’s hand tensed, the sharp edges of the gears digging into his fingertips. Blood seeped into the gaps, leaving a red mark on the brass.

From the moment he got the Witch card, he had been trying to find a way for the other interns to survive. He didn’t want Zhao Ran’s mission to end in complete failure, leading to imprisonment.

“Just for fun.” Was this his reward for working so hard for him?

Yu An let out a cold laugh. Ji Nian immediately reached up to touch the goosebumps on his neck.

“Kill him.” Yu An’s previously dull and lifeless eyes suddenly brightened—

If the interviewer’s consciousness died in the game illusion chamber, that beautiful body on the linking platform would be mine.

At this moment, the three people on the cable were positioned in a triangle. Zhao Ran was on the left cable, while Cha Eunjae and Wei Chiyue were on the right. The hanging corpses were scattered from the steel beams above, their positions unpredictable. Each rotation caused the beams to fold and deform, making the positions of the hanging corpses ever-changing.

In this tightrope act, the hardest part wasn’t walking the cable itself. It was the two technicians needing to precisely calculate the distance to turn the gears, controlling the rotation of the hanging corpses to avoid the paths of the three people.

Due to the darkness, they couldn’t directly see where the people on the cable were. They could only calculate based on the positions of the knots on the steel beams.

Yu An suddenly changed the force and direction of the gears. Ji Nian, looking up at the rotating beams, immediately realized he was controlling the hanging corpses to avoid the two investigators while trying to knock Zhao Ran off.

Ji Nian, being clever, knew exactly how to cooperate. He quickly read out the positions of the knots on the beams, allowing Yu An to avoid constantly looking up at the ceiling.

Zhao Ran had been moving at a steady pace, smoothly approaching the end. But suddenly, the rotation of the hanging corpses became dangerous.

The eerie corpses shifted unpredictably, rushing toward him. Zhao Ran slipped, barely hanging onto the cable with his hands. Just as he pulled himself up, a rotting corpse spewing foul blood charged at him from the right.

Zhao Ran flipped forward, dodging several swaying corpses, and dashed ahead. His body formed a pink blur, crashing through the obstructing corpses and tearing the hanging ones to pieces.

“Impressive. Just a bit more.” Zhao Ran said, patting the dust off his gloves and effortlessly jumping onto the platform at the end.

The two technicians had calculated everything perfectly, even considering how the other would dodge after each step. If it weren’t for Zhao Ran, no one else could have withstood their underhanded tactics.

Suddenly, Yu An’s fingers, which had been rapidly turning the gears, paused.

“You misread one. You almost knocked Cha Eunjae off.” he said, looking up with sharp, thin eyelids.

Ji Nian swallowed. “Really? Good thing you were here.”

Time was running out. The wall of blades in the corridor was almost upon them, pushing debris along, including the chair and the fire axe that had fallen to the ground.

If they stayed any longer, they’d be skewered by the blades.

The two cables began to shake, indicating that the people on them had reached the other side and were trying to move the other end of the cable to the lower hook.

“Hmph.” Having lost another round to Zhao Ran, Yu An angrily pushed the gears in frustration.

Zhao Ran’s side was the first to secure the lock. A signal came through, indicating he was ready to receive them.

Yu An pressed Ji Nian’s shoulder. “You take the other one.”

He quickly grabbed the fire axe from the ground, hung it on his waist, and took off his raincoat, twisting it into a thick rope. He hooked it onto the cable, wrapped each end around his wrists for stability, and created a simple zip line. With a kick off the cliff, he slid down using the slope.

The zip line was faster than expected. The abyss below occasionally flashed with dim light, illuminating the tangled spikes at the bottom.

The steel beams above lost control, and the densely hanging corpses began to spin like toys on a baby’s mobile.

The old ropes snapped, and the hanging corpses fell one after another. A foul wind brushed past Yu An’s ears as the corpses plummeted into the pit, the spikes piercing their chests, mouths, or eye sockets, covered in mud-like blood.

He curled up, lifting his feet to cushion the impact as he got closer to the other side.

Huang Qi and Ji Nian slid down from the other cable, Huang Qi’s terrified screams echoing through the space.

The wall of blades had reached the end, blocked by the hook at the end of the cable. The chair fell into the abyss, shattered to pieces. But the wall didn’t stop. It continued forward, its heavy force gradually bending the hook. The ground cracked where it was inserted, and the cable in the air suddenly snapped!

Yu An was already close to the end. As the cable broke, he let go, his body flying through the air. Under the effect of the Mask of the Dead Lake, his body became like a shadow dripping ink, trailing a dark streak as he soared through the air, heading straight for the pink figure ahead.

Not far away, a pair of crimson eyes glowed in the darkness. Zhao Ran spread his arms, leaping toward Yu An’s flying figure. The two bodies collided violently.

Yu An closed his eyes, tightly wrapping his arms around Zhao Ran’s back as they rolled together. The warm, soft flesh and bones cushioned the impact. After rolling several meters, they hit a wall and stopped. Zhao Ran lay on the ground, while Yu An sat up, hands on Zhao Ran’s chest, shaking the dust and debris from his head.

“That hurt. Were you launched here?” Zhao Ran rubbed his head, breathing heavily. In the darkness, his colors were as vivid as a freshly awakened carnivorous flower.

Yu An loved this appearance. A beauty that was both human and not. Ordinary people might find it scary, but for Yu An, who was captivated by the faceless nurses in Silent Hill, it was beautiful.

But this moment of attachment wouldn’t make him hold back. He had already thought of a cultivation tank to keep the interviewer’s body in permanent slumber.

“You.” Zhao Ran noticed Yu An’s piercing gaze, as if nailing invisible jewels into his body.

In this face-to-face position, the ring around Yu An’s neck slipped out of his collar, dangling on a thin chain.

The silver band had been polished smooth, its surface reflecting Zhao Ran’s face.

But the reflection was that of a European boy with deep-set eyes and shimmering gold and blue irises.

Yu An was stunned.

The J.S brothers could model themselves freely within the game but couldn’t alter reflections. So, any reflective surface would show their true forms.

“Are you J… or S?”

“J. You can call me James.”

The disguise exposed, he remained unashamed, still smiling with Zhao Ran’s face.

“I shouldn’t have taken his form. Because when I have his memories, this body instinctively catches you when you fall.”

“My brother and I have always watched you from behind the screen. This is the first time humans have entered our world.” James picked up the ring hanging around Yu An’s neck. “Is this what a real ring looks like? In the game, such fine details are usually just a few colored pixels.”

“We’ve always been by your side, starting from the beggar in the water in Lost Town. Watching you have so much fun, we couldn’t resist joining in. So, this is what it feels like to talk and hug humans.”

“Play with me until the game ends.” James said. His body turned into a pink lightning bolt, slipping out from under Yu An and standing three meters away, hands in his coat pockets, facing Yu An with Zhao Ran’s usual calm expression.

The loud snap of the cable breaking shook the space. Huang Qi and Ji Nian also slid to the end, caught by Cha Eunjae and Wei Chiyue. They turned to join the others, only to be stunned by what they saw. Yu An and Team Leader Zhao stood on opposite sides, Yu An raising a knife, its tip pointed at Zhao Ran.

“What’s this…” Cha Eunjae understood the situation. “The Hero and the Witch are facing off.”

Wei Chiyue gasped. “Who… who’s the Hero?”

Ji Nian urgently said. “Yu An is!”

“Impossible.” Cha Eunjae frowned. “The Hero has three hearts. Even if Ai Ke sacrificed himself, losing one civilian would only cost the Hero half a heart. The Witch only has half a heart and dies with one hit. If Yu An were the Hero, he’d charge at the team leader and fight it out.”

Yu An said. “He’s a fake. He’s J from J.S.”

The interns paused, unsure if he was telling the truth. Ji Nian was also stunned, his mind racing to analyze the situation.

James snapped his fingers, and white light appeared on their chests. The cards they had absorbed earlier reappeared, floating in front of them. Yu An’s showed the Witch laughing maniacally in front of a mirror, while James’s showed the Hero holding a sword and shield, cloaked in red.

“I don’t know what he’s talking about.” James said, holding the Hero card. His imitation of Zhao Ran’s mannerisms was flawless. “Maybe he just wants to win. The exit is right ahead. You can go. The doctors are waiting outside. He might not really die. You don’t need to feel pressured by my work, kids.”

Yu An’s hand, holding the knife, trembled stiffly. He turned to look at them. He wasn’t as eloquent as James, and a few clumsy retorts stuck in his throat. Suddenly, he felt a sense of desolate resignation.

Forced to choose between their lives and their comrades during their first mission, the interns hesitated. If it came down to killing each other, even if they survived the game illusion chamber, what threat would a scattered group pose to other companies?

Seeing the interns hesitate, James raised his hand. At his command, the ground beneath Yu An cracked, and several pale arms shot out. Yu An reacted faster, rolling away as the ghostly hands grabbed for him, lunging toward the interns.

But as he leaped into the air, the ghostly hands caught up, grabbing his ankle.

Yu An fell heavily to the ground. Ji Nian was the first to rush out from the group, grabbing Yu An’s hand and pulling with all his might. Yu An managed to stab his knife into the ground to anchor himself, but he still couldn’t overcome the strength of the ghostly hands.

“Let me win. I can get you out.” Yu An squeezed out a promise through gritted teeth. The grip on his ankle suddenly loosened, and Yu An and Ji Nian were flung forward by the momentum. Looking back, they saw Wei Chiyue on the ground, raising his knife and stabbing the ghostly hand. The hand writhed and twisted, dissolving into a cloud of blood. Wei Chiyue turned to ask. “Technician, step back! What did you just say?”

“I said…” Trust me.

James walked toward them, each step exuding Zhao Ran’s commanding presence.

“Don’t come any closer, Team Leader.” Cha Eunjae sensed something was wrong. He charged forward with his knife, changing direction mid-run to attack from an awkward angle. The knife almost touched James’s left chest.

Suddenly, a faint golden ring appeared under James’s feet. The ring formed a sundial shape, and the shadow of the gnomon moved backward. In shock, Cha Eunjae was pushed back five steps. Before he could react, James was already in front of him, flipping around and kicking him two meters away.

Then, the golden ring under James’s feet changed shape. The gnomon disappeared, and three straight lines divided the disk into six sectors. Five sectors were bright, one was dark. A beam of light rotated rapidly within the disk, stopping on one of the bright sectors.

“Clock Malfunction, Roulette.” Yu An recognized the ability. The multi-armed monster from Riyu Town had used it against the Dead Lake Parasite.

James could perfectly replicate Zhao Ran’s abilities. This ability to log in from a different location was terrifying.

A stone blade suddenly shot out from the jagged wall behind Cha Eunjae, piercing through his back and out his chest.

The pain made him sweat profusely. Cha Eunjae looked up, showing he had half a heart left. The flashlight rolled from his hand, its light accidentally shining into James’s eyes. The back of Cha Eunjae’s knife reflected Team Leader Zhao’s face. A pair of gold and blue eyes clearly visible on the steel.

“It’s J.S in disguise. Kill him!” Cha Eunjae broke the blood-stained stone blade and collapsed to the ground, gasping and shouting.

“This is fun.” James raised an eyebrow. The golden rings under his feet scattered. “Come at me together.”

The flashlight’s light swept over his eyes, and the golden rings on the ground flickered like unstable voltage. This small detail reminded Yu An. He dodged the ghostly hands guarding James and snatched the flashlight, shining its strongest beam directly into James’s eyes.

The ghostly hands instantly retreated from around him. The body of Zhao Ran that James was hiding in turned white, and his movements visibly slowed.

“If you want to kill me, daylight is your best chance.” the interviewer had once said.

Yu An tossed the flashlight to Ji Nian. “Shine it on him!”

James raised his hand to block the strong light. He wasn’t afraid of light, but if he abandoned Zhao Ran’s body, he would lose Zhao Ran’s powerful abilities.

Cha Eunjae, enduring the pain, pulled himself off the stone blade. Though dizzy, he picked up his knife and charged again, using his agility to climb onto James’s back, pushing his chin up and slashing his throat.

At the same time, Yu An rushed forward in three steps, stabbing his knife upward into James’s heart.

The blade pierced through his back, blood splattering all over Cha Eunjae. James let out a beastly scream, his eyes turning crimson, his lips splitting and sticking together. A powerful shockwave burst from his body, sending both Yu An and Cha Eunjae flying over ten meters away. Yu An rolled several times, barely stopping at the edge of the cliff.

This was the precursor to Zhao Ran’s berserk state.

James pressed the wound on his chest, blood gushing from between his fingers. He looked at Yu An in shock. “You really are interesting. You didn’t hesitate to strike at the body of someone you love.”

But Yu An was distracted. James had perfectly replicated Zhao Ran’s abilities. So, how many cores had Zhao Ran taken from the multi-handed monster in Riyu Town?

How many cores did the multi-handed monster have? After encountering Zhao Ran, could that naive Aberrant still be alive?

Would he see it again in the real world? It loved frozen meat and soft candies, which were plentiful in the city. His salary was enough to support it.

Had it been killed by the interviewer, all its cores taken and sold for money? Were Zhao Ran’s wealth and mansion built on its suffering?

With two fatal wounds, James walked out of the darkness, blood—or rather, red program code—flowing from his injuries. The dense 1s and 0s covered his clothes. Golden rings began to float under his feet again, scattering and flying around. From each small ring, a silver-armored knight wielding a weapon rose from the ground.

Zhao Ran’s War Banner could summon six types of knight souls: Spear and Axe Knight, Archer Knight, Flail Knight, Greatsword Knight, Papal Cross Sword Knight, and Light Armor Kunoichi.

Six golden rings surrounded Yu An, gradually closing in. The archer drew his bow, and a golden arrow carved with Damascus patterns shot through the air. His arrows could break through the golden rings. As long as there was a ring on the other side, the arrow could be shot.

The others were completely blocked by the knights’ encirclement, unable to break through, let alone touch a hair on James’s head.

Ji Nian gloomily observed the battle. The opponent still had one and a half hearts and could withstand three fatal attacks. Yu An’s chances of winning were still slim.

“We can’t break through!” Wei Chiyue tried countless times but was repelled by the golden rings. He turned to Ji Nian in desperation. “Technician, what do we do now?”

His voice faltered, his body stiffening as he looked down in disbelief at the bloody knife protruding from his chest.

He turned inch by inch, meeting Ji Nian’s horrified gaze.

The frail technician held the knife’s handle, blood splattered on his cheeks. With a determined grit, he pulled the knife out.

Wei Chiyue’s last half-heart was consumed. He slowly knelt, his body darkening as he went offline in a death pose.

A civilian’s death cost the Hero half a heart. James was also injured, the golden rings under his feet flickering weakly.

Yu An, trapped in the golden rings, was shocked. “Don’t do it! Just hold on for two more minutes!”

The anti-addiction system timer under the Mask of the Dead Lake was down to its last two minutes, each second ticking away.

Blood soaked Ji Nian’s hands. His legs were still trembling, but he turned his gaze to the severely injured Cha Eunjae and walked over with the knife.

Cha Eunjae stared at him in shock, amazed by his fear and determination.

James saw through Ji Nian’s plan and sent a golden ring to block Cha Eunjae.

It wasn’t that he wanted to protect the intern. If another civilian died, he’d be down to half a heart. The sure-win situation had been turned into a disadvantage, and he panicked.

Facing the tall silver-armored knight, Ji Nian helplessly lowered his hands.

Just when everyone thought he had given up, he suddenly raised the knife and stabbed himself in the chest, pulled it out, and stabbed again.

Before his body turned gray and went offline, Ji Nian tore off the Refinement Badges from his and Wei Chiyue’s chests, along with the flashlight, and threw them with all his might to Yu An.

“This is a transaction. Don’t worry about it.” Ji Nian closed his eyes, raising a finger to his lips and silently saying to Yu An. “Be careful of the boss.”

*

In the Circus Illusion Chamber, the interns lay on the linking platforms. Ai Ke’s life monitor suddenly emitted a piercing alarm.

The tense atmosphere in the room exploded. Ni Lan, who was closest to Ai Ke, quickly waved for the emergency intern. “Xiaoli! Hurry!”

Ruan Xiaoli woke from her doze and rushed to Ai Ke’s linking platform, checking the monitor. It seemed he had died in the game illusion chamber, and his brain would suffer severe damage.

“Step aside.” She rolled up her sleeves, quickly washed her hands and arms with alcohol, and picked up the prepared drill, drilling into Ai Ke’s skull.

“Oh my god.” Ni Lan covered her mouth. She had never seen such a brutal treatment. Was she reliable?

The rolled-up sleeves revealed the Tier 3 Red Healing Core: Barehanded Control embedded in Ruan Xiaoli’s wrist.

Organs she touched with her fingers could stop deteriorating. Even an organ she held in her hands could be preserved indefinitely.

Ruan Xiaoli drilled two holes in Ai Ke’s skull and inserted her index fingers, gently touching the soft brain to stop the damage and deterioration.

Her ability bought the Medical Rescue Unit the best possible time to save Ai Ke. The nurses urgently pushed her and Ai Ke out, racing against time to save him.

The others waited in the circus tent for a long time. Ni Lan paced anxiously, cursing Huo Yangui. “Get away from me. I’m being roasted.”

Huo Yangui rubbed the moisture off his arms. “I’m anxious. When can we go in and help them?”

The noise outside the tent grew louder. Ni Lan listened, it seemed like reporters from major newspapers were crowding outside, waiting to interview them.

“Who called them here? Who leaked our location?” Ni Lan drew her sword and rushed out to chase them away but collided with Ruan Xiaoli, who was hurrying back into the tent.

At that moment, the life monitor sounded another alarm. Ruan Xiaoli was startled and quickly regained her focus, running to Wei Chiyue’s side. She expertly flipped onto the linking platform and, with the help of other nurses, drilled holes, inserting her fingers into his skull to touch his brain, doing everything she could to stop the damage and buy time for the doctors to save him.

Once she found the right spot, Ruan Xiaoli relaxed slightly. The nurses urgently pushed them out.

Unexpectedly, a few seconds later, Ji Nian’s life monitor sounded an alarm. Ruan Xiaoli’s pupils constricted. Her hands were still connected to Wei Chiyue’s head. Under her desperate gaze, Ji Nian’s monitor went from flashing to solid red. The sharp alarm tortured everyone’s nerves.

The alarm suddenly stopped, and the monitor went dark. The room fell silent.

“…” Ni Lan carefully moved to Ji Nian’s side and nudged him. His head tilted to the side, blood dripping from his nose onto the linking platform.

*

“Yes, we currently have three severely injured interns. One has been confirmed to have severe brain damage. During the initial examination, we found a transmission chip in his brain.”

“You can see this transmission chip. It’s identical to the model commonly used by Drift Racing. We believe Drift Racing used unethical means to maliciously compete, treating human lives as expendable. We will definitely pursue legal action to make them pay for such unscrupulous behavior.” 

The head of the Medical Rescue Unit declared to the reporters.