Swapping Identities

It's alright if they see it... The guess about the time discrepancy was directly overturned, and "Yu Xing" breathed a slight sigh of relief.

As for doppelgangers and such, perhaps, but it's not something that's particularly urgent.

He immediately greeted the Little Heavenly Master with a bright smile and a warm tone, "Welcome! Would you like to come in and have something to eat?"

The deducers. "..."

They all turned their gazes to the two Yu Xing, only to see the young man in the team, nicknamed "Unknown," looking bewildered and taking a step back somewhat timidly.

Everyone immediately wondered: the original body is timid and silent, while the ghost at the barbecue restaurant is enthusiastic and cheerful—could it be that the doppelganger has a completely opposite personality?

Hmm, they all entered the simulation together, so it doesn't make sense that only one person has a doppelganger. Does that mean there are doppelgangers of all of them in the barbecue restaurant?

Aside from a few minor misleading details, they guessed correctly in other aspects.

It can be said that this change of leadership by "Yu Xing" has provided a good hint to the strategists, allowing them to prepare themselves mentally in advance.

It was the Little Heavenly Master who spoke again. He was probably the most senior person here, besides a couple of people who were pretending to be weak while actually being strong. He coughed lightly and came back to his senses. "We'd like an eight-person table, please."

Unsure of the strength of these reborn beings, the Little Heavenly Master spoke very politely and cautiously.

After all, in the instinctive thoughts of all the deducers, the other self that appears at the location of the dungeon must be a ghost, must be the opposite.

"Okay, please come in!" Yu Xing, the smiling greeter, tilted her head and respectfully made way for them.

One, two...

The deducers stepped into the barbecue restaurant. As Qu Xuanqing passed by him, she smiled and said, "Such a healthy and sunny smile, it's hilarious."

Her attitude towards him is the same as in reality.

Yu Xing raised an eyebrow. "Show me something that makes me laugh to death?"

Qu Xuanqing gave a noncommittal scoff and followed behind the others, brushing past him.

Another Yu Xing fell to the very back.

Even though he should be the focus of attention for other strategists due to his dual existence, he only needs a little trickery to minimize his presence.

Yu Xing looked at Yu Xing, and just as he thought he was about to walk over, a pale hand suddenly landed on his white shirt uniform.

Yu Xing turned her head and met a pair of deep blue eyes at close range.

The other self had shed its fear and was now observing him with a hint of curiosity.

His breath hitched. Facing his own face so close was a completely different feeling from looking in a mirror; it was a strange, unsettling, apocalyptic sensation.

"Why are you a greeter?" he heard another version of himself ask. "Aren't you a waiter inside?"

"You know?" The greeter Yu Xing, suppressed a strange feeling, his mind racing. Coupled with the vague unease he'd sensed since waking up, including the candidates' practiced ease... he maintained his smile. "Oh, this isn't the first time."

"The seventeenth time." The other version of myself sighed. "The system told me not to interfere too much with other people's deductions, so I've watched them get it wrong seventeen times already..."

Greeting guest Yu Xing: "..."

"You have all seventeen memories, but I don't." His smile didn't reach his eyes. "Among us, I'm the one who shouldn't exist."

A sudden realization dawned on him: he wasn't Yu Xing; he might have to change his name to Yu Shiqi.

"You're discovering this faster and faster; the reset isn't without its traces." The real Yu Xing withdrew his hand from his shoulder, relaxed and at ease, completely different from this imposter.

Yu Shiqi thought that whenever he felt something was strange, he would brush it off with "I'm going to give up and not think," but this was just his self-suggestion as a ghost and a clone.

The real Yu Xing would not do that; even if he remained silent, he would firmly hold the initiative in the pursuit of the truth.

Just like now, Yu Shiqi saw in Yu Xing the composure of knowing everything.

"Time's almost up. If we let them keep resetting like this, those candidates are truly hopeless." Yu Xing put her hands in her pockets, scrutinizing Yu Shiqi's expression. "Are you going to help me?"

Yu Shiqi paused for a moment.

He understands everything now.

He is not Yu Xing, so if Yu Xing clears the dungeon, he, as a ghost that extends from the dungeon, will also disappear.

He has his own thoughts, just like a human. If you conceal his identity as a copyist, his relationship with Yu Xing is actually very simple—a ghost and a predictor.

He should have stopped the real Yu Xing from clearing the game. That way, he could use the identity of "Yu Xing" to travel to more parts of the world through the barbecue restaurant. He could always find something beyond the animal faces, or one day discover a way to leave the instance and go to reality.

This was what he had to do; he and Yu Xing were enemies.

But...

A genuine smile appeared in Yu Shiqi's eyes.

"I'll help you. How do I do it?"

He wanted to help Yu Xing.

Yu Xing revealed an expression of "I knew it," and asked with a smile, "Who are you?"

Yu Shiqi: "I am you."

He possesses Yu Xing's memories and personality; his thought process is almost identical to Yu Xing's; the emotions he experiences originate from Yu Xing; he...

He didn't see himself as a ghost.

Having figured out exactly what she was, Yu Shiqi never intended to become an obstacle for Yu Xing.

He actually felt that he was now the person in the world who had the best understanding with Yu Xing —although it was only temporary.

He wanted to help Yu Xing clear the level, and then disappear into this space as if he had never existed. This was the final destination he wanted. Even if Yu Xing was the end of the world for him, he would still stand on the side of the end.

"It's simple, we'll switch identities." Yu Xing glanced at his uniform. "Change your clothes. I need your identity to investigate the barbecue restaurant. You'll pretend to be me, eating and drinking as a customer."

"Okay," Yu Shiqi agreed readily.

Yu Xing had the ability to block out perceptions, and in this instance, he was an overwhelmingly superior being. So, they skipped work, found a secluded corner, changed their clothes, and swapped identities.

"Besides me and Xiao Ququ, everyone else's memories are also being reset. Be careful when you're with them." Yu Xing straightened her new uniform and added, "Don't die. If any clone dies due to danger in the Yugi, everyone's progress will be reset."

"The progress has been reset, but the increased alienation level has remained unchanged. That's why you said that if this continues, the candidates will be doomed?" Yu Shiqi also straightened his hoodie.

"Yeah, come to think of it, seven or eight resets were because of me." Yu Xing shrugged. "You should understand, every copy of me wanted to experience the taste of utter death."

Yu Shiqi: "..."

So you ruined your own life?

That's true.

He wanted to give it a try too.

With the shield lifted, Yu Shiqi had already arrived at the table where the deducers were sitting.

Qu Xuanqing glanced at him, seemingly knowing everything, while the others were unaware of his late return—this was the crushing power of someone in an absolute position.

The system was a step behind and assigned the next task.

[You have successfully changed your identity and unlocked the true Main Quest.]

[Sole Main Quest: Kill your own version of yourself.]

[Task Reward: Become Yourself.]

Yu Shiqi chuckled inwardly and ignored the task.