ATIGIBTC Chapter 132.1

He Fang watched the quarrel between Zhu Yan and Yuan Zhiran, or rather, Yuan Zhiran’s one-sided offensive against Zhu Yan. It was obvious that he didn’t want He Fang to go alone.

As He Fang looked at the two arguing, he suddenly muttered, “Now you even need an NPC’s approval just to do a quest?”

This line was spoken to himself. But the moment it left his mouth, he suddenly noticed a brief pause between the two who were fighting. However, they immediately resumed quarreling again, as if that momentary stillness he sensed was nothing but an illusion.

However, the argument between Zhu Yan and Yuan Zhiran had undergone a subtle shift.

From Yuan Zhiran’s initial, outright refusal to let He Fang go alone, it now seemed he was being persuaded by Zhu Yan and was beginning to consider how He Fang could safely reach the Summit of the World.

He Fang blinked, looking at the two who had shifted from “absolutely can’t go” to “he can go, but only if it’s safe”. Something flickered in his eyes, but he said nothing.

“It’s best if Xiao Zi, Xiao Lan, and Xiao Huang go with him,” Zhu Yan said. Xiao Zi’s mental control, Xiao Lan’s transparency that made it impossible to detect its presence, combined with the high combat capability and extreme speed of Xiao Huang. This was, in Zhu Yan’s view, the most logical team configuration.

“I think letting Xiao Lu go would be better,” Yuan Zhiran said. “Xiao Lu’s flight is one of a kind.”

But Zhu Yan raised an eyebrow. “Going by that logic, shouldn’t Xiao Cheng go, too? After all, he’s the only one who can tunnel underground.”

“And why not?” Yuan Zhiran shot back.

It was He Fang who finally spoke. “But if I bring them all, wouldn’t that be the same as taking the entire mech team with me? That kind of grand entrance would definitely raise alarms. I’m going with goodwill in mind, not planning to destroy the Summit of the World.”

At that moment, Chong Ying even chimed in from the side with a terrible suggestion: “Then how about letting my brother wear a bionic suit and dress up like a large dog or something, and follow beside the City Lord? I think that’d be pretty great too. A loyal dog, you know.”

He Fang: “…” Just what kind of brother is Chong Xiong in Chong Ying’s eyes?

However, He Fang suddenly said, “I’ve decided. I’ll take Xiao Lan, and only Xiao Lan.”

With Xiao Lan’s transparency ability, he could stay by He Fang’s side without being noticed, which could, to some extent, lower the other party’s guard.

As for the rest, Xiao Zi needed to stay and keep producing music, and He Fang planned to assign Xiao Cheng to the library as a defensive pillar. The other pillars each had their own roles to play, so Xiao Lan, who had always roamed freely around the area, was definitely the best choice.

“Isn’t that too few?” Yuan Zhiran immediately looked at He Fang. Although he was worried, since it was the City Lord’s decision, he wouldn’t object or push further.

“As long as I have Xiao Lan, that’s enough. We still haven’t figured out the structure of Xiao Lan’s body even now, and we’re already the most powerful city in the entire world. If even we can’t see Xiao Lan, then there’s no way anyone else can.” Moreover, according to Zhu Yan’s research, Xiao Lan could also extend his invisibility to those around him, allowing them to hide together.

“Well, that might not be such a bad thing after all,” Zhu Yan said.

“And then I’ll need to prepare a plane. It’s true that going alone will cost me a lot of time, so I’ll definitely need some food and water to replenish energy along the way. Also, I need to equip enough weapons. Even though they said I have to go alone, they didn’t say I’m limited in how many weapons I can bring. So why not bring more? It’d be silly not to.”

He Fang’s piloting skills had always been top-notch. Even in the game, he had consistently demonstrated excellent flying ability, and he was also very familiar with offensive maneuvers while piloting.

“If the only restriction is on how many people go, then communication should still be allowed, right?” Zhu Yan asked.

“We still don’t know what exactly is inside the Summit of the World. Could there be a signal jammer? We’re completely in the dark right now, so it’s best to make some assumptions. For example, I’ll try to stay in touch the whole time. You just don’t come in person. But even if you can’t reach me, don’t worry. Trust me, I would never abandon you.” He Fang shook his head, trying to reassure his NPCs.

He could understand their concerns. And even just to ease their minds, he wouldn’t recklessly risk his life.

“That’s not what we meant. We didn’t mean it like that…” Yuan Zhiran looked at He Fang with worry. But it was clear that He Fang had already made up his mind.

And so, He Fang responded to the Summit of the World, saying that he would be visiting soon. He Fang asked Zhu Yan and Yuan Zhiran to prepare everything he needed as quickly as possible, so he could depart without delay.

After all, He Fang truly didn’t want to see the land within the game actually being stripped away.

Humanity’s living space was already incredibly limited. If even more land were taken, wouldn’t that be the same as stripping away hope itself?

During the preparation period, He Fang, after a long time, went to visit Min Zhizhou again, an NPC who held a very unique meaning to him. Min Zhizhou was still at the trash station, still in that same small house. But Min Zhizhou looked a little thinner.

“Why did you lose weight?” He Fang looked a bit surprised when he saw Min Zhizhou. He had assumed that Min Zhizhou would continue expanding sideways without a care.

“I was eating too much before. I went to the hospital for a check-up, and they said that if I kept eating like that, I’d develop a lot of illnesses. Illnesses I don’t want. I still want to live a better life, so I decided to lose weight.” Min Zhizhou, seeing He Fang, came over like an old friend, and the two of them sat down under the tree together.

He Fang glanced back at the side of the tree. The old man who was always there had disappeared.

“The old man?” Min Zhizhou seemed to immediately notice He Fang’s attention and chuckled softly. “It’s been getting colder lately. He used to sit here to enjoy the breeze, but now he’s probably staying warm at home. At that age, he can’t be out here freezing.”

He Fang looked over at Min Zhizhou. Min Zhizhou was wearing a thick overcoat, probably not very clean, considering he worked at the recycling station. But it looked warm and well-insulated.

But he had always been wearing this same outfit, though he had added some clothing. Yet, the clothes in the game and those in reality were always different; as long as you added a layer of thick clothing, you wouldn’t feel cold. This was a trait that every player character could possibly possess. In fact, aside from “Ruins Without Restart”, the influence of weather on players was negligible. After all, hadn’t everyone seen game characters running through snowfields in swimsuits?

He Fang looked at the relaxed Min Zhizhou. His gaze was calm. He Fang still remembered the look of despair in Min Zhizhou’s eyes when he had first arrived here—the shocked expression he wore at that time. Later on, after learning about Min Zhizhou’s past, Min Zhizhou’s dreams, and the hopes his parents had placed upon him, He Fang understood.

This was a flesh-and-blood NPC. There was Wei Qixuan, who had once survived thanks to the help of others; there was even his sister Song Mianjue, who had returned to Wei Qixuan’s side from another city—a sister whom he thought he’d never see again. Then there was Yuan Sanjin, who had always held onto hope and admiration, and only later inherited her position; and Shen Houyun, whose status was so humble it couldn’t be lower, yet who, in the darkness, grew up bit by bit under the kindness of those around him… and so on and so forth.

These NPCs’ experiences were far too vivid, too real. Was this really something that could be achieved by an algorithm alone?

“Ruins Without Restart” was astonishing. So astonishing that He Fang instinctively became immersed in the game. Even now, he still couldn’t tell reality from the game.

“Min Zhizhou, what do you think of the world you’re in?” He Fang asked, almost like something compelled him to.

Min Zhizhou didn’t quite understand He Fang’s question, but after thinking for a moment, he still gave a suitable answer: “I think that right now, I’m living in a time full of hope. I firmly believe that the bitterness and pain of the past will come to an end, and that the world will surely welcome a new and beautiful future.”

“That’s so vague,” He Fang said honestly.

“So that means, hmm…” Min Zhizhou thought for a moment.

“Do you think this world is real?” He Fang took the initiative to offer a direction. As an NPC who always spoke very honestly, He Fang felt that Min Zhizhou was quite a smart person. Crawling and struggling in this post-apocalyptic world, then becoming dissolute after entering the main city. Wasn’t that exactly the nature of an ordinary person with a bit of cleverness? Compared to those NPCs of his who were absurdly powerful, Min Zhizhou felt more like a real, ordinary person.

“Real or not real… how should I put it?” Min Zhizhou suddenly smiled, but it wasn’t his usual smile. It carried a hint of bitterness. “This world… if only it could be a bit more fake.”

He Fang was momentarily stunned.

“The hopelessness I once felt inside the mobile city, the expectations my parents placed on me, the precious armor and Anti-Nightmare Beast weapon I received from my parents, the times I crawled and rolled through danger, the fear and calm I felt when facing Nightmare Beasts, watching with my own eyes as the teammates I led eventually turned into Nightmare Beasts… If all of that—if all of it were fake, maybe I’d feel a bit better.”

He Fang suddenly thought of Min Zhizhou’s once “grand and turbulent” life. For a moment, his voice faltered.

“All of this, every bit of it, is real. And yet, the life I’m living now feels somewhat unreal to me. But the more I understand that it’s not real, the more I realize that I, myself, am real.”

When He Fang walked away from Min Zhizhou, he stepped onto the main street. He looked at the crowds of people coming and going around him. Occasionally, people exchanged words, but for the most part, they passed each other by in quick strides. Yet as he stood amidst the flowing crowd, everyone instinctively avoided the space he occupied, veering around him without a word.

He Fang walked forward, step by step, along the road. He could see everything in his surroundings—the environment, the details, the sounds. These were supposed to be such ordinary, simple things, yet they kept streaming into his mind without pause. It was a feeling of complete authenticity, a calm that no extra words could describe.

Eventually, He Fang arrived at a familiar place, or rather, the place in the whole city that suited him best. As long as he looked up, he could see the building where he lived, and if he looked closely, even his own window.

Here, every window ledge in every home displayed something different. When you looked across them, they dazzled the eyes with variety, no two alike. This feeling had existed here for a very long time.

He Fang stood where he was and could see people brushing past him on either side.

Where he was standing now, he knew for sure. It was a place clearly visible from his own room.

When the game was in an idle state, his character model would remain motionless in place. Even when the character was on auto-mode, there would be some small, preset movements. Many times, He Fang would use this feature to record footage and make videos.

Although he felt that his behavior was honestly quite ridiculous, He Fang still went through with it, just to confirm whether or not he was simply indulging in a flight of fancy.

He Fang lay in the sensory simulation pod, blinked a few times, and took a deep breath.

Sitting up inside the pod, he rubbed the space between his brows, feeling a kind of exhaustion that was hard to put into words.

First, he went to pour himself a glass of water to relieve his thirst, or perhaps it was just a way to ease his nervousness through that small action.

In the end, he made his way to the quiet edge of the room. He Fang approached the window, took a deep breath, and slowly pulled open the curtains—

——

“City Lord, how about we still accompany you there?” Yuan Zhiran said worriedly.

“No need, I can go on my own.” He Fang was reading the manual Zhu Yan had written for him. The aircraft behind him had been modified from a widely used standard model, and it was quite good. The manual was mostly to help him understand how it suited his situation.

“But…” Yuan Zhiran still looked visibly concerned.

“It’s alright.” He Fang finished flipping through the entire manual and did a quick check of the supplies loaded onto the aircraft. “Everything you’ve prepared is already very thorough.”

“But…” Yuan Zhiran wanted to say more, but was cut off by Zhu Yan…

“Xiao Lan has already been set up. You know where the mobile charging station is, right?” Zhu Yan asked.

“I know. Are you sure Xiao Lan won’t be easily detected?” He Fang glanced around but didn’t see any trace of a mech.

“It won’t.” Zhu Yan gave He Fang a firm guarantee. “I’ve reconfigured the terminal. It should receive messages easily, unless they intentionally block the signal. If it really comes to that, City Lord, you must be extremely careful.”

“I understand.”

“Do you need us to send a few people to infiltrate separately?” Yuan Zhiran asked from the side.

“No need. Doing that now would just alert the enemy prematurely.” He Fang double-checked the Divine Lord figurines he had on him. One hanging around his neck, one on his wrist, and one at his waist. Just to be safe, he even stuck one on his navel. If someone tried to make him take them off, he would just say they were embedded into his body.

He’d done all of this in secret, without telling anyone. At this point, he was basically covered in Divine Lord figurines. He could probably be worshipped as one himself!

“Then… please be careful.” Yuan Zhiran’s face clearly showed how reluctant he was to let him go.

“Don’t worry.” Before mounting the aircraft, He Fang lowered his head to look at the NPC beside him, who was staring at him anxiously. He moved his lips and said, “I cherish my life more than anyone else ever could.”

Yuan Zhiran froze for a moment, then watched as He Fang got onto the aircraft and left without looking back.

Zhu Yan watched He Fang too, his eyes narrowing slightly, as though deep in thought.

This was the first time He Fang had gone out alone since “Ruins Without Restart” had launched online. But in reality, for a game player, being alone was the norm, especially in an open-world game like this. Yet when He Fang thought about it carefully, he realized he had always relied heavily on the people around him.

After flying for a while, He Fang confirmed that the terrain ahead would continue to be open plains, so he activated the autopilot mode and leaned back in his seat, waiting to be carried forward automatically.

To help He Fang keep track of Xiao Lan’s position, a tracker had been installed on Xiao Lan. Because of this, he could always see on the terminal that Xiao Lan was staying within a consistent range of him. Xiao Lan moved swiftly, seemingly running through the surroundings to clear a path for He Fang ahead.

He Fang still remembered that moment during the setup when Zhu Yan was configuring things. He had raised his hand, wanting to reach out toward Xiao Lan through the air. Clearly, Xiao Lan hadn’t been by his side at first, but all of a sudden, he felt a gust of wind brushing around him, and then the cool metal armor had silently appeared in his hand. The chill of the metal greeted his palm, clearly cold in the already chilly weather, yet somehow it brought with it a faint warmth. Barely perceptible, but enough to put one at ease.

Xiao Lan, who had always quietly stayed nearby, had been watching his every move all along. Since Xiao Zi had thoughts of her own, it was certain that Xiao Lan did, too. Having such a powerful mech that behaved so obediently, almost like a beloved pet, felt like something out of a dream.

Alone inside the spacious aircraft, well… maybe not that spacious, considering the large pile of food stacked behind him, He Fang casually reached back and randomly grabbed a bag of snacks. The snacks had even been securely fixed to the rear of the aircraft so they wouldn’t shift around and interfere with his controls in any way.

He Fang took a bite of the snack. Mmm, it was a flavor he liked. Had even the NPCs in the game recently started to figure out his tastes?

Looking at the endless road ahead, though technically, he could see the icefield at the Summit of the World in the far distance, the whole situation felt like one of those sayings: “watching the mountain until the horse drops dead”[mfn]a journey that looks closer than it really is[/mfn]. Fortunately, the aircraft now ran on energy blocks. Otherwise, if it were a regular car, he really wouldn’t know if the fuel would’ve been enough to get him there.

Unfortunately, since the Rainbow Squad used charging stations for their power, no energy blocks had been installed in their units. Forcing a switch to energy blocks might affect the internal systems, so they hadn’t been installed at all. He Fang felt this was perfectly reasonable.

He Fang lay half-sprawled against the aircraft window, gazing out at the endless expanse of blue sky. The white clouds floated peacefully. Nothing about the outside world seemed different from normal.

The distribution of Nightmare Beasts Forest wasn’t particularly orderly. So, if someone wanted to rip the Nightmare Beast Forest away like a protective film, the entire Earth would likely be torn into a thousand ragged holes. He Fang thought of how, in modern-day fiction, there were always stories about destroying the world, saying “destroy the world” this, “destroy the world” that. But actually destroying the world was probably extremely difficult. He Fang didn’t believe for a second that mere humans could destroy the world.

And yet, to his surprise, someone had managed to do it.

Or rather, someone had tried to.

He Fang let out a sigh.

After flying for a while, He Fang would take short breaks. Not for himself, but for the aircraft. As for him, he would get off and stretch his arms and legs.

---

Moonlit’s Mini Theater

Chong Ying: Have my brother dress up like a large dog. A loyal dog, you know.

He Fang: …

Moonlit: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (rolling on the floor.jpg)