Love NPC in Nightmare Game - Chapter 69

Chapter 69: Mirror World 2

“Wake up, wake up Xiao Zhi.”

A familiar voice kept ringing in her ears. Xiao Zhi’s head felt heavy, and her whole body seemed to be trapped in a nightmare. The more she tried to wake up, the more immobile her body became. Fortunately, the familiar voice by her ear never disappeared, as if encouraging her to struggle with her body. Finally, she woke up with the accompaniment of that voice.

She barely opened her eyes, and what came into view was the azure sky. One of her companions was looking at her with a delighted expression: “You’re finally awake!”

“Ah Yu?” Xiao Zhi looked a bit dazed, as if she hadn’t fully regained her senses. Was she still not awake? Otherwise, how could she see Ah Yu smiling at her?

“Yes, it’s me. I’m so glad you’re finally awake,” said the one called Ah Yu, a male player who had sat in the front row of the car earlier. He was now kneeling beside Xiao Zhi.

Xiao Zhi sat up, still seeming a bit disoriented, looking around with puzzlement in her eyes.

What was this place?

Why was she here?

As her memories became clearer, she finally recalled what had happened. The driver had recklessly driven the car off the mountain road, and they had fallen off the cliff. She could even remember that moment of pounding heartbeat and shock when she saw the scenery below the precipice as the car tilted in mid-air.

“Is this the resurrection point?” Xiao Zhi asked, feeling a bit confused. After all, falling from such a height, they must have died, so she should have resurrected at the resurrection point… right?

Looking around at the unfamiliar scenery, she was not so sure anymore. Previously, when buying resurrection items in the store, the clerk had said they would resurrect in their shop. But this was clearly the wilderness, so why would they resurrect in such a place?

Ah Yu smiled, his originally bright and clear features appearing even more handsome. Although he couldn’t compare to the looks of Zhou Zhou, Alvia and others, he was still considered very attractive among his peers. Especially since Xiao Zhi had a little crush on him, she thought he looked like he was surrounded by a halo at this moment.

“We didn’t die, but I also don’t know what exactly happened. When I woke up, I was already here, with only you around.”

Xiao Zhi looked at Ah Yu’s smile with a hint of delight. Since she had met him, Ah Yu had always been cold towards her. She had originally thought he didn’t have those kinds of feelings for her, but sometimes his sudden care and attention to details made her feel like he might actually like her too, especially since he treated everyone else with the same indifference. So the slightest difference made her cherish it even more.

Seeing the smile on his face now and hearing the gentle tone he used to talk to her, she even wondered if Ah Yu had been replaced by someone else.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?” Ah Yu asked with concern.

Xiao Zhi quickly regained her senses. How could this not be Ah Yu when he looked exactly the same? His usual coldness was probably just because he was shy around so many people. Now that it was just the two of them here, Ah Yu had opened up a bit. Maybe this was his true self.

“No, I’m fine. Since we didn’t die, is this the instance location then?” Xiao Zhi said quickly, not wanting to miss such a good opportunity.

Ah Yu nodded, with a hint of worry on his face: “It should be. I don’t know where the others are though, it seems like it’s only the two of us here.”

“It’s okay, we can look for them together. Maybe we’ll even find the exit along the way,” Xiao Zhi said reassuringly, not wanting to see Ah Yu troubled.

Ah Yu stood up and reached out his hand to her: “Originally I felt a bit timid being alone, but I feel much better now that you’re here. Let’s go together.”

Xiao Zhi looked at his outstretched hand, feeling that today’s instance was really worth it. Not only could she be alone with Ah Yu, but his dependence on her and concern for her also made her very happy. Perhaps their relationship would undergo a major change after today.

Pretending to be shy, she placed her hand in his, only to shudder at the icy cold touch. Xiao Zhi looked at Ah Yu’s hand with puzzlement as she stood up. Why was it so cold?

Ah Yu didn’t notice the confusion in her eyes. He looked around and said, “This seems to be a mid-mountain area. We’re probably still on that mountain. Why don’t we head to the top? We’ll be able to see farther from there, maybe we can find the others. It’s just a bit windy here, are you feeling cold, Xiao Zhi?”

The change of topic was too abrupt for Xiao Zhi to ponder why Ah Yu’s hand was so cold. She had just heard him expressing concern for her well-being. That’s right, with such strong winds here, it was normal for Ah Yu’s hands to be a bit cold after standing guard over her for so long.

“I’m not cold, not cold at all. Shouldn’t we hurry up to the mountain?” Xiao Zhi urged repeatedly. She was not only not cold, her heart was burning hot, her face even felt a bit feverish.

The two chatted as they walked uphill. There was still no sign of the wrecked car or the other people nearby. However, on their way up, they conveniently reached that winding mountain road.

Xiao Zhi originally wanted to follow the road since the flat surface would make for easier walking. But Ah Yu said that would be too roundabout, and they might not even reach the top before nightfall. So the two ended up heading straight for the top from their current position. The path was very difficult, but the top was indeed getting closer.

Xiao Zhi didn’t exercise much normally, so she quickly became too tired to continue walking. But seeing Ah Yu’s steady breathing, she could only grit her teeth and persevere. However, after a while, she really couldn’t go on.

“Let’s rest for a bit. I can’t walk anymore,” Xiao Zhi said, sitting down on the ground regardless of appearances, crushing many flowers and grasses. This mountain had abundant vegetation, so they had to carefully part the tall weeds to walk on the untrodden paths.

She caught her breath and glanced down the mountain. Only then did she realize how steep this mountain was. She had been looking upwards the whole time, so she hadn’t noticed. But from this angle, she was surprised at how she had even made it up here.

Ah Yu was very considerate and didn’t say anything, standing there waiting for Xiao Zhi. The smile on his face never faded, but the upturned corners of his mouth seemed to have been fixed in that position for too long, like a mask plastered on his face.

The further up the mountain they went, the stronger the wind became. Blown by the cold wind, Xiao Zhi’s heated mind, flustered by Ah Yu’s change in attitude, seemed to have cleared up a bit.

“Say, what exactly happened with the driver? Wasn’t he supposed to take us to the instance? Why did he suddenly drive all of us in the car towards the cliff?” Xiao Zhi finally recalled this question belatedly.

Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, Ah Yu immediately answered: “I don’t know.”

Xiao Zhi: “……” Although she didn’t know either, his response was too quick.

“Then, do you know why we’re still fine, and who brought us out of the car?”

Ah Yu looked up at the mountaintop: “I don’t know either. But if you can’t walk anymore, why don’t I carry you up there?”

Xiao Zhi: “!!!” Really?

Seeing him take big strides towards her, Xiao Zhi immediately stood up from the ground. Although she did want him to carry her for more intimate contact, Xiao Zhi knew her limits. This was the virtual world, and all sensations were the same as reality. Carrying someone up such a steep mountain would definitely be very strenuous. How could she let the person she liked carry her all the way up?

“No need, I can do it.”

As he approached her with his back turned towards her, Xiao Zhi quickly walked uphill, taking large strides to show she had stamina, as if the person who had just asked for a rest wasn’t her.

Mustering her strength, Xiao Zhi actually made it all the way to the top without resting, though she was too exhausted to even speak.

Ah Yu walked behind her, gradually catching up and softly saying to her: “Xiao Zhi, you’re an only daughter in your family, right?”

Xiao Zhi nodded, only wanting to lie down on the grass for a rest. It had been so long since she last climbed a mountain like this. But in front of her crush, she endured and remained standing.

“If we were to get married…”

Xiao Zhi: “……” Wasn’t Ah Yu thinking too far ahead when they weren’t even dating yet? But she liked it.

Just as Xiao Zhi thought Ah Yu must have liked her for a long time, even envisioning their future together, she heard the second half of his sentence.

“If we were to get married, I’d get half of your family’s assets, right?”

Xiao Zhi: “???” Was there something wrong with her ears?

Xiao Zhi turned around, looking at Ah Yu in disbelief. She never expected him to say such a thing when they weren’t even boyfriend and girlfriend!

A sense of disgust rose within her, and Xiao Zhi’s previously flushed face from the climb turned pale. The look in her eyes wasn’t as passionate as before, instead carrying a hint of suspicion.

Ah Yu didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong, smiling at her as he slowly approached.

Looking at his smile, Xiao Zhi finally sensed something amiss. Ever since she woke up, Ah Yu’s attitude and expressions had been revealing abnormalities, but she had been too immersed in the joy of impending love to notice. Now, his smile only seemed bizarre to her.

“You…”

Ah Yu reached out and grabbed Xiao Zhi’s shoulders, then slowly pushed her backwards. Xiao Zhi struggled with all her might, but found his grip as solid as iron, unmovable no matter how hard she tried. Even kicking his weak spots had no effect, his smile never changing, the force pushing her back never wavering.

“You’re not Ah Yu!”

The moment those words left her mouth, Xiao Zhi, who had just climbed up the steep mountaintop, fell backwards involuntarily. She reached out with one hand to grab onto something, but Ah Yu had already stepped back, smiling as he watched her fall.

“Too late,” Ah Yu suddenly said with a cryptic smile.

Before the horror in her eyes could fully manifest, she saw black cracks spreading across Ah Yu’s smiling face. With a sound like shattering glass, his whole body broke apart into shards, and even as the pieces fell, Xiao Zhi could see the silver mirror-like sheen on the back of the fragments.

By the time Xiao Zhi finally realized something, she had already tumbled down the steep mountaintop.

This time, she was truly eliminated.

*

“Al, wake up.”

The moment Alvia regained consciousness, he heard Zhou Zhou’s voice. When he opened his eyes, frowning towards the source of the sound, he saw Zhou Zhou crouching beside him, his amber eyes brimming with tears that seemed about to fall, looking utterly pitiful.

Seeing Alvia lying on the ground, his eyes clear and looking at him, the redness in Zhou Zhou’s eyes immediately flashed with delight. “You’re awake!”

Alvia stood up, his long habit prompting him to first observe their surroundings. They were now in a relatively flat area in the middle of the mountain slope, with only him and Zhou Zhou around. The vehicle, players, driver, even that sheep – everything was gone. The grass on the ground was intact too, not damaged by any major impact.

The previous scene seemed like a mere illusion from his dream, but Alvia knew it wasn’t. They had indeed experienced all that, so what was going on now?

His inquiring gaze fell on Zhou Zhou, whose eyes were red but lit up happily, standing beside Alvia like finding his pillar of support, not leaving his side for an inch.

Noticing his gaze, Zhou Zhou took the initiative to explain: “When I woke up, I saw you lying beside me. I’m so glad you’re awake now, otherwise I wouldn’t know what to do.”

Alvia was still doubtful about what had happened before. Seeing Zhou Zhou looking at him expectantly, he reached out and ruffled his hair in reassurance.

Zhou Zhou obediently let him ruffle his hair, then asked Alvia: “Al, what should we do next?”

Alvia pondered for a moment: “Head down the mountain first.”

Uncertain about what had happened, it was better to go downhill for now.

“Okay.” Zhou Zhou obediently replied, then slipped his hand into Alvia’s and gripped it tightly.

Alvia looked at Zhou Zhou, puzzled by the chilling sensation in his hand, as if he was grasping a block of ice.

“I’m a bit cold, will you hold my hand?” Zhou Zhou’s eyes were clear and unguarded.

Alvia remained silent for a moment, saying nothing more as he held Zhou Zhou’s hand and headed down the mountain.