Love NPC in Nightmare Game - Chapter 102

Chapter 102: The Real World 6

[Today I watched a match at the arena, and encountered someone who brazenly claimed to have been ranked first in the entire region in the game, just to impress a handsome young man. Doesn’t he realize that only one person has ever achieved such a feat over so many years? Even if you’re going to brag, at least do it within reason. The youth these days are really restless.]

As soon as the original poster said this, many players couldn’t sit still.

“You can criticize, but why take potshots? Did the youth offend you or something?”

“Yeah, it’s not like all young people are like that.”

“Bragging a little in front of your crush is normal, but this guy can brag more than me. Haha.”

“I just want to know how handsome that handsome young man is. Any pictures?”

The middle-aged man originally wanted the players on the forum to join him in condemning the person impersonating that player, but the responses he received were all over the place, with everyone’s attention focused elsewhere.

He continued to reply on the forum: “Appearance isn’t the point. The one and only player who reached the top, can that be impersonated so casually?”

“Ah, there have been many players trying to impersonate that person over the years, but they always end up exposing themselves as soon as they compete. It’s normal, we’re all used to it.”

“In the end, it still comes down to ability. Even if you want to use that name to deceive people, you still need to have the corresponding ability. If the handsome young man who was deceived makes the other party go to the arena and compete in a match, the lie will naturally be exposed. By the way, is that young man really very handsome? If even an old man thinks he’s good-looking, he must be quite attractive.”

The middle-aged man recalled the scene he had witnessed at the competition: “The impersonator seemed to have decent skills. During today’s match between Silver Light and Fierce Blaze, he was able to predict their next moves throughout the entire match. With that level of skill, he should at least be ranked in the thousands.”

As for whether the original poster was an old man or not, no one cared. Everyone was just fixated on his previous sentence, with an indescribable expression.

It seemed like the entire thread fell silent for a moment. After a while, someone finally spoke up.

“That, Silver Light and Fierce Blaze are both well-known figures in the mech arena, and their rankings are even in the top one hundred. To be able to predict their actions… That should be more than just a few thousand, right?”

“I’m also ranked in the top one hundred. Predicting the opponent’s next move is a crucial point in winning a match, but to be able to predict every single move, that’s a bit overpowered, isn’t it?”

“I just want to know what level the original poster is at? To be able to predict the actions of two top hundred players, and yet in his eyes, it’s just a few thousand? Could it be that the original poster is also some sort of great player?”

Upon seeing this, the middle-aged man immediately frowned and replied: “I’m not a great player, and my mech operating skills aren’t good either. I just enjoy watching matches. At the time, that guy was talking to the young man next to him while explaining what their next moves would be and how they would defend against them. He seemed to be in complete control, so I thought it was easy. But it’s actually very difficult to do, isn’t it?”

“Hahaha, if I had that ability to predict the opponent’s next move, I would go challenge the top ten in the arena.”

“Yeah, with that ability, it’s like exploiting a bug. You can clearly see the opponent’s intentions, and the match becomes like child’s play.”

“I suspect this is a troll post. What’s this about impersonating a great player, a handsome young man? Could it be made up?”

Everyone else also felt that it seemed that way, and the comments now leaned towards the original poster being bored and deliberately making up a story to attract attention, with many expressing their condemnation.

The middle-aged man didn’t expect it to turn out like this, so he immediately explained that it was true and shared his record of watching the match, his seat, and the appearance characteristics of the two people, in an effort to demonstrate the credibility of the event.

However, no one believed him, and they even mocked him for being so realistic that he should just write a book instead.

Just as the middle-aged man was at a loss for words, someone suddenly noticed a blind spot.

“I’ve noticed something. The original poster said that the plain-looking man who seemed like a bodyguard claimed to have been the number one player in the entire region, and then he was able to easily predict the actions of Silver Light and Fierce Blaze during their match. As we all know, there has only been one person who has ever reached the number one rank in the entire region. If, if it’s true, could it be that person has actually returned? Based on their abilities, predicting the actions of both players in the match should be easy, right? So I think, if the original poster wasn’t lying, is it possible that person has really come back?”

As soon as this statement appeared, some people thought it made sense, but more people thought it was far-fetched, since that person had been gone for many years.

“I also think it’s possible that it’s true. Us old-timers who have been playing games for many years know that that person has always used a system default avatar, and the plain face the original poster saw could very well be another system default avatar they’re using. Over the years, there have been many imposters, and as soon as I see the equipment and character appearances they use, trying to make themselves look flashy and shiny, I know they’re fake.”

“Wasn’t it said that they’ve always been a loner? What’s this about a handsome young man?”

“Well, it could be their lover. Maybe they’re bringing their significant other to play in the game.”

“From the time that person became famous in the game until now, it’s already been more than ten years. A young man is unlikely to be a lover. Could it be their son they brought to play?”

“It’s possible. After all, they haven’t played the game for so many years, and suddenly they’re online with a handsome young man. It’s likely the son wanted to play this game, so they finally remembered they had an account and brought the son to check it out. Look at the original poster’s explanation, that young man does seem like it’s his first time entering the game, and he doesn’t even understand the rules of the match.”

“But, have you confirmed their identities? Are you sure it’s that person?”

“No, we’re not sure. But the most important thing now is to find someone quickly! Once we find them, we can figure out if it’s really them or not.”

“A plain, ordinary face and a handsome young man. Alright, let’s mobilize all the players we know to search for them.”

This thread spread from the mech arena forum to other areas, and many people began searching across the entire internet for these two people. The middle-aged man, looking at the commotion on the entire forum, only then realized that he might have actually encountered the real person. He immediately shared the two people’s characteristics and also mentioned overhearing Alvia say he would take Zhou Zhou for basic mech training. He shared this information as well.

With that, the players finally stopped flailing around aimlessly and instead swarmed towards the mech training rooms.

Although it’s unclear whether it’s really them or not, it could very well be the real deal!

The long-absent top player has returned, or is it just another scammer’s scheme? Both the passionate fans of the great players and the idle spectators have sprung into action.

As for Zhou Zhou and Alvia, after the match ended, they arrived at the training room.

The game originally had a beginner’s training module, where new players would be given a free basic mech, and a system voice would carefully explain how to use the mech, teaching you how to enter the mech, how to operate it, how to move, and so on.

These were all very simple basics, and many people would ignore this step after entering, since for them, they might have already had experience with or operated mechs in the real world.

However, Zhou Zhou was completely unfamiliar with all of this, so the beginner’s tutorial was very suitable for him.

But after Alvia acquired the free basic mech, he canceled the beginner’s tutorial. How could he possibly let Zhou Zhou listen to the tutorial while he was there standing around? He was there in person, after all.

To be fair, his understanding of mechs was naturally more comprehensive than the system’s. Not to mention the beginner’s tutorial, even if Zhou Zhou wanted to learn about actual combat or other advanced topics in the future, Alvia could continue teaching him.

Unaware of Alvia’s ulterior motives, Zhou Zhou kept circling around the mech in the training room, his eyes fixed on it. Although the basic mech looked much shabbier compared to the two mechs from the arena, it was still enough to amaze Zhou Zhou.

Whether it was in the Love Academy or the Nightmare City, Zhou Zhou had rarely witnessed scenes of fighting and killing. Even if there were any, they would end before it was his turn to act.

Of course, even if it was his turn, he wouldn’t be able to defeat anyone.

So this was the first time he had directly faced such a mechanical form of combat, and naturally, Zhou Zhou was very interested.

He excitedly circled around the mech several times before suddenly stopping, looking at Alvia with a curious expression: “How do I make it move?”

Unaware that the beginner’s tutorial, which should have provided guidance after the mech appeared, had been canceled by Alvia, Zhou Zhou could only direct his question to the only person there who knew how to use the mech.

Alvia stepped forward and explained how to operate the mech, with Zhou Zhou nodding continuously in understanding.

With Alvia’s help, Zhou Zhou entered the mech and looked at Alvia, who had also entered, asking naively: “Are you coming in too?”

After all, the basic mech was quite rudimentary, using a model from hundreds of years ago, so the interior space was quite cramped. One person would fit comfortably, but two people would be a bit crowded.

Alvia said seriously: “How can I teach you if I don’t come in? All basic mechs are manually operated, and there are over a hundred buttons inside. You need to understand what each button does before you can make the mech move and perform various operations.”

Modern mechs are connected through spiritual power, with the mech acting like one’s own body, able to perform various actions through the mind. However, every mech still retains manual operation capabilities, since spiritual power can eventually be depleted, and certain special areas can also affect the connection between spiritual power and the mech. In such necessary situations, the two modes can be switched between.

But to memorize over a hundred buttons and be able to react with corresponding actions based on physical reflexes requires quite a bit of effort. To prevent modern people from taking shortcuts and only using the relatively simpler spiritual power control method, they must first learn manual operation before advancing to learn spiritual power connection.

The two sat side by side in the mech cockpit. Although it was a bit cramped, Zhou Zhou’s full attention was focused on the control panel in front of him, his only thought being how to operate it besides curiosity. Only Alvia seemed composed on the surface, but with a slight redness on his face.

Too close.

“Al?” Zhou Zhou waited for Al to teach him the operation steps, but after waiting for a while, the person next to him didn’t say a word. Perplexed, he turned his head, and if Alvia hadn’t avoided it in time, he would have bumped into Alvia’s chin.

Alvia regained his composure, looked at the oblivious Zhou Zhou, and could only sigh inwardly before seriously explaining the operation steps.

Zhou Zhou listened very attentively, nodding as he listened.

According to the beginner’s tutorial, it should explain one button, and then let the player operate it once, until all the buttons have been operated, and then start simulated practice, allowing the player to gradually become familiar with the function of each button through actual operation.

With Alvia, it became explaining the functions of all these buttons first, and then letting Zhou Zhou start operating them himself. Moreover, he explained at a very fast pace, explaining what this button did, what the next one did. If an ordinary person encountered such a teacher, they would probably want to curse them out, explaining so quickly and casually, they’d be strange if they could remember it all.

Unfortunately, this incompetent teacher met an extraordinary student. Zhou Zhou remembered it all in one go.

With a solemn expression, after Alvia finished explaining the functions of over a hundred buttons, Zhou Zhou began to actually operate them.

First, he had to make the mech move.

He stared at a certain button, then pressed it solemnly.

The mech’s leg moved a little bit, then stopped.

Zhou Zhou then pressed another button, and the mech’s other leg shifted a little.

Alternating back and forth like this, the mech that looked so tall and formidable looked like an old, frail person taking tiny shuffling steps around the spacious training room, appearing quite comical.

Many players who had come to the training room to search for someone unintentionally entered this particular room and saw the basic mech taking such hilarious tiny steps. Thinking it was just a new player messing around, they took one look and left, inadvertently missing the very person they were looking for.

Alvia, on the other hand, noticed that quite a few people had come into the training room, more than he had seen in many years. He didn’t know that the rules for the training rooms had been modified, allowing two modes for the beginner’s training rooms.

One mode was private, where if you didn’t want others to see, you could set it to private mode and only allow yourself or the host to enter. The other was public mode, where players could freely enter the training room. If they encountered beginners, they could offer advice, and many people had received guidance from great players here.

So both modes were used by many people. Alvia was unaware of this rule, so this training room was currently in public mode, allowing anyone to enter.

Normally, not many players enter the beginner’s training rooms, unless they have nothing better to do. Why else would they want to watch newbies learn how to operate mechs?

But today was different. Due to the news of the top player’s suspected return spreading throughout the entire game, and with a clear lead to follow, players searched through every public training room.

Although many people came in, they would just take a look and disappear. Alvia didn’t pay too much attention, realizing that there might be some new rules in place, but it didn’t concern him much.

He just watched as Zhou Zhou carefully poked around with one finger, tapping here and there, finding it somewhat amusing. After all, mech operation emphasized swift reactions and agile movements. Manual control operators would love to have a few extra hands, so how could Zhou Zhou operate it by tapping with just one finger back and forth?

But love is blind. Alvia patiently watched as Zhou Zhou took tiny shuffling steps around the training room, finding his movements quite adorable.

If anyone else dared to operate a mech in such a mocking way, Alvia would have likely scowled at them.

“Zhou Zhou, you should use both hands. That way, as you operate more in the future, it will become a habit. Single-finger tapping to operate the mech is too slow.” Although Alvia found Zhou Zhou’s tapping adorable, he still corrected his technique.

“I know.”

Although Alvia’s explanation was simple, just stating what each button did, Zhou Zhou had his own learning method. He needed to understand the specific usage of each button, what the mech’s reaction would be after pressing it, how it would move, he had to grasp all of that beforehand. So he wasn’t just playing around, but carefully observing each movement of the mech.

Seeing Zhou Zhou’s serious expression, their long-standing rapport allowed Alvia to realize that he wasn’t just casually messing around, so he simply watched as Zhou Zhou tried each button one by one.

All the players who entered this training room only saw the basic mech making various slow, silly movements. At a glance, they could tell it was a newbie’s first time encountering a mech, so it couldn’t possibly be that person.

But some people did think that since that person was supposedly accompanied by a handsome young man who seemed to have never interacted with mechs before, the appearance of a clueless newbie could actually mean they had found the right person.

But why was there only one mech in this training room? Shouldn’t there be two people?

No, let’s keep searching the other rooms.

Who would have thought that in this basic mech, there were two people crammed inside, the very person they were so desperately searching for, who had selfishly squeezed himself in as well.

Zhou Zhou remained fully focused, continuing to poke and tap until he had tried all the buttons. Only then did he stop and turn to ask, “I’ve memorized them. What should I do next?”

Every time Zhou Zhou turned his head, his lips nearly touched Alvia’s face. Yet he remained oblivious, while Alvia kept leaning back to avoid it. Despite him selfishly wanting the two of them to be alone in the cramped space, whenever these situations arose, he was the one who awkwardly dodged the fastest.

“I’ll operate it once first. Watch my hands closely and mimic how I do it,” Alvia said flatly.

Zhou Zhou nodded, originally intending to move aside to let Alvia operate, but then realized they were too close for him to move anywhere. In order for Zhou Zhou to learn better, Alvia, despite his tall stature, squeezed himself into the corner, looking quite pitiful.

Zhou Zhou pursed his lips, observing the cramped cockpit, and realized that continuing like this would make it inconvenient for both of them to operate. He then had an idea.

“Let’s change positions.”

A moment later, Alvia looked at their current position, hesitating to speak, feeling that this position wasn’t very good.

However, Zhou Zhou was quite satisfied. This way, it would be convenient for both of them to operate, and he could also clearly see all of Alvia’s movements.

Alvia slightly regretted his selfish decision to have them both enter the same mech, when they could have easily conducted the lesson by video linking two separate mechs.

But the unruly Zhou Zhou simply leaned against his chest, watching Alvia’s hands hovering over the control panel, unable to resist urging, “Al, move them already.”

Alvia: “……”

He took a deep breath. If not for the tanned complexion of his chosen generic face, he would have likely turned completely red. Even the aloof flower admired by the masses could not resist such teasing from the person they liked, especially when the other party was doing it unintentionally, and he was the only one making a big deal out of it.

Thinking this, Alvia moved his fingers rapidly across the control panel, almost leaving afterimages.

The aged mech that had been sluggishly lifting its legs in Zhou Zhou’s hands was reborn under Alvia’s control, with a series of high-difficulty moves flashing continuously as he operated it. Despite being a simple basic mech, it moved with agile ferocity, like a lion battling on the field.

Zhou Zhou’s eyes widened. He knew mech operation looked formidable, especially after witnessing the duel between the two renowned experts in the first match he watched. But Alvia’s skills were clearly above theirs, not just in his effortless mech operation, but in how the mech moved like a real human, showcasing abilities far beyond that.

While marveling at how impressive Al was, Zhou Zhou also recalled the scene he witnessed in the illusion, the desolation and sorrow of the teenage boy amid the smoke of battle. These extraordinary skills were not just the result of talent, but hard-earned experience from constant fighting and struggle.

After the operation was completed, Alvia looked at the person in front of him, wanting to ask if he had seen it clearly. Since he knew Zhou Zhou had a good memory, his teaching style was simple and blunt, teach it once and let him mimic it, which was the most suitable method for Zhou Zhou.

But unexpectedly, Zhou Zhou didn’t seem as excited as before, but rather a bit dejected.

“What’s wrong? Didn’t see it clearly? Or you don’t want to practice anymore?” If he didn’t want to practice, they could switch to another game, Alvia thought silently.

Zhou Zhou shook his head. “No, I memorized it. I just suddenly thought about whether you actually like all this or not.”

He had only been considering himself, without thinking about whether Al enjoyed being here.

Alvia was taken aback, not understanding why Zhou Zhou would ask such a question.

“Do you still remember? In the mirror world, I saw your memories. I think you might not like these kinds of things,” Zhou Zhou said honestly.

Alvia did remember everything that happened in the illusion afterwards. Although it was just an illusion, because of Zhou Zhou’s presence, those memories that would have caused him immense pain to recall became easier, and that was the turning point for Alvia to see clearly what was in his heart.

And he seemed to understand Zhou Zhou’s concern. Was he worried that Alvia would be disgusted by all the fighting and weapons?

Placing his hand on Zhou Zhou’s head, Alvia said, “I indeed don’t like these things, because wherever these things appear, it symbolizes war. But we still need to keep learning about them, because with these mechs and starships, we can become stronger, and wars will end sooner.”

Zhou Zhou seemed to understand only partially as he processed these words, “So you don’t like it, but you still need to learn it in order to become stronger?”

Alvia laughed softly and ruffled Zhou Zhou’s hair. “It’s not that I dislike it. If great power can protect everything you want to protect, everyone would like that. And after you learn it, you’ll be better able to protect yourself, which will put my mind at ease too.”

Why would me being able to protect myself put your mind at ease?

Just as Zhou Zhou was about to ask, he suddenly realized that they were good friends, so it’s normal for friends to care about each other, right?

Zhou Zhou was deeply moved, his mood immediately improving. “I understand, Al. Watch me operate it now.”

The moment Zhou Zhou placed his hands on the control panel, it was as if he had been enlightened, his speed and technique were completely different from his previous poking and tapping.

With the same technique and speed as Alvia, not a single sequence was missed.

A perfect replication.

Even Alvia was somewhat surprised. Although he had initially guessed that with Zhou Zhou’s memory, operating a mech wouldn’t be difficult, he didn’t expect him to be able to completely replicate his movements.

If Alvia demonstrated all his moves once, Zhou Zhou could learn them all in a very short time, and in just a few days, he could likely achieve an extremely high ranking in the game.

Although this was also thanks to Zhou Zhou’s AI abilities, in Alvia’s eyes, Zhou Zhou was simply very talented.

And so, with one person demonstrating and the other imitating, the lesson proceeded very pleasantly.

Maintaining the mindset of a tutor, Alvia gradually forgot about their awkward position.

Until Zhou Zhou grew tired of practicing and naturally leaned against Alvia’s chest again while watching his hand movements during the demonstration.

Alvia: “…Zhou Zhou, don’t do this position with anyone else in the future.”

Zhou Zhou: “Why?”

Alvia decided not to mince words, as he found that the more he did that with Zhou Zhou, the more likely the other would misunderstand. He stopped his operation. “Because this is a position only couples would take.”

Zhou Zhou looked down at their position, scratched his head uncomfortably, “Really? But if we don’t do this position, we won’t be able to learn the mech. Can’t good friends do it?”

Alvia stated firmly, “No, they can’t.”

“But you didn’t say anything earlier. Okay then, I’ll move forward a bit,” Zhou Zhou muttered reluctantly.

“Only couples or close family members can have such intimate gestures. Others can’t,” Alvia deliberately explained in order to help Zhou Zhou understand some common sense in this area. After all, to help him become aware, the first step was to make him understand the differences between friends, family, and lovers.

Although Zhou Zhou pouted without saying anything, Alvia knew he had taken it in.

However, Alvia gazed at the increasing number of people entering the training room with confusion. Earlier there were just a few coming and going, but now a large group had rushed in, and they weren’t leaving either.

Zhou Zhou also noticed the abnormality. Glancing at the people coming in from outside, he wondered, “Why are so many people coming in? Are they here to train too?” If everyone was going to train in mechs, there wouldn’t be enough space.

Alvia searched through the new rules regarding the training rooms and finally found the information about public and private modes.

He realized it was because he hadn’t selected a mode that the training room had defaulted to public mode, which was why so many people kept coming and going. Alvia immediately reselected private mode.

The nearly overcrowded training room instantly became quiet again, clearing out all the irrelevant people. After that, Alvia resumed his lesson.

Although Zhou Zhou was puzzled as to why so many people were watching them train, and why they had all suddenly disappeared, their disappearance didn’t matter, training was more important.

Not long ago, during Alvia’s first demonstration, one player realized he might have found the person they were looking for and recorded the various high-difficulty moves of the basic mech, uploading the video to the forum.

After receiving confirmations from multiple expert players, finally, news of the top player’s return swept through the entire game.

Players immediately demanded the training room’s address from the player who posted the video.

The moment the training room number was released, many players entered.

Witnessing the basic mech’s fierce movements, the fact that such a rudimentary antique could perform so many high-difficulty moves, it had to be that person without a doubt.

Veteran players who had witnessed his rise shed tears of joy, after waiting for so long, they had finally witnessed his return.

Having heard countless legends about him, new players were filled with excitement and curiosity, wondering what kind of person could defeat so many elites and successfully become the uncrowned king of the game.

Some people remained adamant that this was an imposter, wanting to expose their lie. That person hadn’t logged into the game for many years and might have already passed away in reality. Borrowing a dead person’s fame to create a reputation for themselves was an unethical act they could not tolerate!

As everyone itched to know the person’s attitude and thoughts, they were swiftly cleared out.

In the blink of an eye, everyone found themselves standing outside the training room, which had been set to private mode, their emotions mixed as they looked inside.

So, did he kick them out because they were too annoying?