I'm So Envious-I Want One Too

Just then, thirty minutes after the simulation began, the leaderboard was updated.

Each participant received a notification, and Yu Xing opened it and her eyes lit up.

[Current Points Ranking]

05, 06:20

01, 04:7

02, 07:4

03, 08:4

Yu Xing and Zhao Yijiu earned their seven points from selling two mid-range drinks and three high-end drinks, respectively.

The two groups below both seem to be struggling to sell drinks: one group is struggling because drinks are hard to sell at the disco, and the Group One is struggling for some unknown reason.

The key point is the group ranked first. 05 and 06 are Orange and Xiao Yan's numbers, and they actually got twenty points!

Judging from the timeline, if they succeeded in fulfilling the ghost's requirements after going up, they would only have time to do so once at most.

Earning twenty points in one go, far exceeding the revenue from selling drinks downstairs, what does this indicate?

This explains that "selling drinks" is a wrong option. Although it can earn a small number of points, it is a waste of time compared to "completing the requirements" given the competition among the four groups. It's better to give up early.

This confirms Yu Xing's speculation: everything on the first floor is fake, there's no benefit, and the ghosts have added a bunch of messy, fictitious rules to it, so it's worth abandoning.

Orange Xiao Yan are quite capable. Not only did they not become cannon fodder, but they also took advantage of being the first to get to the second floor and became the leaders among the Group Four!

"Shall we go up and take a look?" Yu Xing suggested enthusiastically.

Zhao Yijiu nodded. They could go up and observe first, and come back down if it didn't work out.

The two acted decisively, ignoring the new customer under the bartender's calm gaze, and headed for the stairs.

The stairs of the Bridge of Helplessness are icy cold. Upon closer inspection, the bloodstains on them are mottled and old, deeply engraved on the stairs themselves, impossible to remove.

As Yu Xing stepped on it, he felt a chill rise from his feet, gradually enveloping his entire body. This chill had a penetrating power, as if it were examining his soul.

There is no Meng Po on this "Bridge of Helplessness," and the legendary Meng Po's Soup is sold in the Forgetfulness Hall.

They didn't need to forget their past, and after climbing eighteen steps, they successfully reached the top of the stairs.

Suddenly, all sound vanished, as if my hearing had been taken away in an instant. The noise from the disco and the instrumental music from the bar disappeared in an instant, and everything went dark. I couldn't even trust my eyesight anymore.

At first glance, all you can see are rows of pale green lanterns swaying in the air. The lanterns are antique and have faded characters written on them with a brush.

It took Yu Xing a couple of seconds to adjust, pulling herself out of the unsettling state of being "deaf and blind." Squinting, she realized the lantern wasn't in the air, but hanging from the ceiling.

A straight corridor stretched out from beneath his feet into the unknown darkness, its outline only visible through the dim light emanating from the floorboards of the rooms on either side.

Unable to perceive the five senses, unaware of spiritual forms, and unable to distinguish between reality and illusion—this was the first impression the second floor left on Yu Xing.

"Indeed, this is the real stage for this simulation."

The moment Yu Xing sensed the atmosphere on the second floor, she made her decision.

He took two steps down the corridor, his leather shoes making a hollow sound on the floor.

"This corridor seems to have no end." Zhao Yijiu followed behind him like a ghost, her voice lowered, because even the slightest sound could travel far here.

I wonder if it will alert the "guests" in the room.

What he meant was that the layout of the second floor did not follow the architectural style of the first floor; it was a completely open space, a long strip without any side passages.

"That means there are a lot of guests on the second floor." Yu Xing didn't see Chengzi and Xiao Yan who came up first; they might be in some room or have walked far away along the corridor.

Zhao Yijiu took a deep breath in the darkness, feeling much more at ease, and held the [Heartshatter] in her hand.

No, this knife has changed its appearance and name. The original Heartshatter belonged to Zhao Mou, and it was fused with Zhao Mou's Persona Mask. Zhao Yijiu borrowed it when they were at Qingyuan Pharmaceutical Factory.

After Alice's Hell ended, Zhao Mou officially severed the connection between Heartshatter and his Persona Mask, allowing Zhao Yijiu to merge with it herself.

This weapon-form offering is now called [Stop Killing].

It was much longer than before, a full half the length of Zhao Yijiu. Its shape was not like the curve of a knife, but rather straight from head to tail, with blades on both sides, making it more like a short sword than a knife.

[Stop Killing] was summoned from the Persona Mask by Zhao Yijiu. He held it in his hand, blending into the surrounding darkness. The rusty sword could not reflect any luster.

Non-reflective weapons are an excellent choice for assassinations.

Zhao Yijiu can now make full use of its power. If he had [Stop Killing] instead of [Heartshatter] during the deduction qualification test at Qingyuan Pharmaceutical Factory, he would never have been at a disadvantage or injured during Zhao Yijiu Tang Li's pursuit.

"Why do you seem to really like this place?" Yu Xing glanced at him, sensing a hint of relief in the atmosphere around him.

"..."

Zhao Yijiu didn't answer him at first, but just when Yu Xing thought he was ignoring him again, he suddenly said, "It's alright."

For Zhao Yijiu, darkness was indeed a form of protection. He was not good at playing roles or flattering others. He was suffocating downstairs, but upstairs, although it looked much more sinister, was actually more comfortable for him than downstairs.

Yu Xing nodded knowingly, then noticed the item in Zhao Yijiu's hand and raised an eyebrow. "Is this the same knife from before? Tsk tsk tsk, I'm so envious..."

He's missing a weapon-type offering!

Look at what his two offerings are now: a candlestick and a doll. He can't possibly expect those two things to hurt people. He doesn't know how effective they would be, but he's certain they'd be hard to take back.

Every time I need to take action, I have to do it barehanded.

Yu Xing had long been disgusted by the sensation of snapping a bone.

"You can ask Qu Xuanqing for it." Zhao Yijiu remained unmoved, even pulling Stop Killing closer to her side.

He heard from Zhao Mou just after midnight last night that Yu Xing had a very strong strategist by his side, the one Yu Xing mentioned to Zhao Mou when he visited his house last time— Qu Xuanqing, the master of the Mutation Path.

Qu Xuanqing seems to have an unusual relationship with Yu Xing, as he openly expressed his support during Yu Xing's live stream of the Rookie Tournament.

So getting a weapon-type offering isn't difficult, is it? Zhao Yijiu thought coldly.

He strode over to stand beside Yu Xing, not continuing the topic, but instead asked in a low voice, "The guests upstairs haven't made a sound. Should we kick down the door and go in to check?"

Another door-kicking incident?

Yu Xing chuckled to herself, thinking to herself that Zhao Yijiu really had a penchant for kicking down doors, then shook her head to stop her. "Let's go, let's wander around for a bit first, and go in when a customer rings the bell."

He smiled slightly, as if he had a good relationship with the guests on the second floor. "The guests upstairs are not on the same level as those on the first floor. We should serve them with more respect."