Si Yehan leaned against the wall, his eyelids slightly closed, listening to the conversation as if in a light sleep.
The rest of the conversation was rather uninteresting, mainly consisting of discussing how to probe out the remaining two rules of killing without causing any harm the next day. Xia Yuanhou was still somewhat annoyed when this was mentioned.
After all, Su Qing died in vain, and the group of people didn't even have a single piece of information about the Blood Ghost who killed her.
After this topic was discussed, no one spoke for a while, and there was a long silence.
Suddenly, Qianjing Youhui's voice rang out, tinged with melancholy and regret. "Seeing so many people die one after another, I feel increasingly uneasy. There are so many things I want to say, but I'm afraid I won't have the chance. Would you like to share your experiences in the outside world? Or your experiences in previous dungeons? After all, I can't sleep for a while."
Xia Yuanhou's steady voice carried a hint of loneliness; people are always more sensitive in the dead of night, and it was clear that the shock of Ning Qian's death during the day had not yet subsided. "You have quite a lot of energy, haven't eaten for almost a day, yet you're not tired. You go first, and I'll speak after you're done."
Xie Fei's previously icy voice softened slightly. "I'll speak third."
Ge Congze a moment, then his voice switched from a female tone back to a slightly gentle and refined male tone. "Then I'll be the fourth one. This instance is more dangerous than I imagined. If I unfortunately die here, at least someone will remember my story."
Qianjing Youhui glanced in Si Yehan's direction and saw that the other seemed to be asleep, so she didn't say anything more and started to speak, "When I was a child, my parents always told me about the history of Yamato. At that time, I was actually a little scared when I listened to it. Later, I became immune to it after listening to it so many times, but it also made me a little cold and aloof."
It wasn't until middle school that I met a group of good friends. That period was the most beautiful time of my life. They would chatter away with me after class, and even though I would only give simple replies, they never got annoyed. I would occasionally bring them gifts, sometimes food, sometimes treats, and they would never show any flattery or try to take advantage of me.
They will also give me the best return gift within their own means. Actually, you can bring your phone to the campus in Yamato, but we generally don't use it because there are more interesting things to do on campus. This is also why many students commit suicide by lying on the railway tracks after entering society; the contrast is just too great.
After graduation, I kept in touch with those friends, but as time went by, we gradually had less to talk about. Although we remained on the surface and things were still amicable, we could never go back to the way things were. So I often sit alone by the window, reminiscing about the past.
Qianjing Youhui paused, then said with a hint of self-deprecation, "I graduated some time ago, but I still can't forget campus life, so I often wear my school uniform. The daily grind, the ever-present gentle smile—it's actually exhausting, but isn't that what life is all about?"
Step by step, they are tamed by the rules, and finally shut others up by saying that happiness belongs to those who are content. This statement is truly ironic. It forcibly ignores objective facts and leaves aside the issue of wealth disparity. In my view, happiness only belongs to those whose needs are met.
Qianjing Youhui's tone became intense. "That's exactly right. I have an extremely strong desire for power and want to transcend class and steer the country!"
The medium through which this Weird Game invites players may be related to a strong desire. I yearn to transcend social classes, no longer limited to money, and become a participant. After clearing the dungeon, I joined the official participant organization of Yamato, "Myriad Gods Township." I'm not a core member yet, but I think I will be sooner or later. I will find a way for humanity to survive.
Ever since hearing about the Underworld mentioned by the Ghost Tamer possessing the curator, Qianjing Youhui has frequently talked about the fate of humanity, displaying a somewhat fanatical attitude! This is completely inconsistent with her elegant and gentle demeanor when she first arrived at the instance.
After speaking, Qianjing Youhui tossed her hair, her voice returning to its initial tone, and said softly, "I apologize, everyone, I got a little carried away just now. Xia Yuanhou, you may begin."
Xia Yuanhou's tone was somewhat heavy. "I was raised by my father. He treated me very well and was also a contractor. After discovering that my mother was having an affair, we had a big fight and got divorced. He then raised me by himself. Their genes were pretty good, which is why I was born tall, strong, and handsome."
However, I hate my mother. She destroyed the harmony of the family. She always seemed brainwashed and insanely hated my father. Even though my father earned a lot of money and let her manage the family finances, she always missed her first love, calling him her prince charming, who was proficient in everything from music and chess to calligraphy and painting, and looked down on my father for being uneducated. But why did she get married? Why did she spend my father's money? Why did she have an affair? When I was little, I missed her a little, but later I hated her more and more for her hypocritical behavior!
Throughout junior and senior high school, I was a sports student with a decent academic foundation, which often earned me gifts and admiration from girls. I would usually just accept them ambiguously without committing to anything. In this respect, I truly inherited my mother's teachings.
My father died when I was in college. I handled his funeral arrangements and resolved a series of property disputes. After graduation, I chose to become a fitness instructor. I've never been in a relationship, but I've slept with quite a few women. In one-on-one situations, I create a false sense of ambiguity, and if the other person is interested, we can take it further! If not, I can say it was an accident.
I transferred my hatred for my mother onto these women. Anyway, they were all vain people who were after my face and figure, and they weren't any good people, so I naturally wouldn't be stingy with them. If they were truly good girls, I wouldn't touch them, but I would give them some small gifts as parting gifts.
Later, after entering the Weird Game, I realized the preciousness of freedom! After leaving the instance, I didn't join any organization. "The Worldwatch" is a good official organization; even without joining, you can still get certain benefits. If an ordinary person provokes you first, killing them is not a problem. I lived more comfortably in the outside world, so I quit my job as a fitness instructor and haven't touched women much since."
Xia Yuanhou spoke in a heavy tone that remained unchanged throughout; even words that should have been spoken in an angry tone were delivered with a somber air.
Xie Fei's words were extremely brief compared to the others. "I really like a poem by Frost, which was mentioned in my high school textbook, called 'The Road Not Taken'! Sometimes I regret not choosing Chinese Fine Arts back then. After all, I really enjoy drawing, but if I had chosen Fine Arts, I might also regret not inheriting the family business. Dying in a dungeon is a perfect ending for me; I'll just fall asleep and never wake up again."
Xie Fei sighed softly, "Many, many years later: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that made all the difference."
Having said that, Xie Fei's aloof face softened into a smile, like winter snow melting away, though no one could see it clearly. "Ge Congze, it's your turn."
With a hint of smugness in his Ge Congze said, "I'm getting a little sleepy, so I'll keep it short. I was born into a martial arts family. It's said that a famous general came from my Ge Congze, after that famous general. From the moment I was born, my parents were very strict with me. Every day after school, I had to take a medicinal bath and then practice horse stance to build up my lower body foundation. I suffered a lot."
They really wanted to mold me into a masculine soldier, but I never really cared. After starting university, my long-suppressed emotions finally erupted, and I began to dress myself up. Even though I had a good foundation in martial arts, I never showed it off. Instead, I was obsessed with cross-dressing and learning voice imitation. Every time I went home for Chinese New Year, seeing their expressions made me feel incredibly happy. As for the Weird Games, they felt more like a stage where I could truly be myself.
Listening to their conversation in the darkness, Si Yehan found it utterly boring. They didn't mention any important items or people, so he couldn't use them to trample on their hopes or to savor their despair and collapse.
P. S.: I've been reading some horror novels lately, and I found one feature quite interesting: they write inner monologues for deceased characters, narrated in the first person.
I think adding this to the darker parts of the story has the advantage of enriching the characters of the victims. After reading this, going back to the descriptions of the protagonist killing these people and the gruesome scenes of their deaths will make it even more interesting.
They are no longer just names to be lightly erased, but rather more vivid figures, each with a complete life, yet utterly destroyed with the fall of the blade. Their families are also implicated and perish along with them.
However, this kind of writing has a downside: it drags on the plot too much, often requiring at least two chapters.
What do you think?