Half of his body had already turned to stone, yet “Ye Qi” seemed completely unaware as he reached out to take the star-patterned crystal that Xiao Lu handed over, finally speaking for the first time: “Pleasure to cooperate.”
This sentence confirmed his identity.
Mr. A’s gaze flicked towards Xiao Lu: “When did you discover me?”
Xiao Lu grinned and winked: “A secret.”
Mr. A sighed: “Isn’t a good teammate who has risked their life for you worth a single honest word?”
Xiao Lu was not swayed by his rhythm and asked, “I can’t tell you have a hobby for doing good deeds anonymously.”
Mr. A raised his scarred hand and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth: “Cough, let’s just say I’m investing in my own goals.”
“Since you can enter the plot, why not deal with Duan Kai yourself?” Xiao Lu probed.
Mr. A’s dark eyes shimmered with faint moonlight as he raised a finger to his lips: “Shh, we agreed not to pry into each other’s secrets.”
Leaning back against the crumbling wall, Xiao Lu mimicked Mr. A’s sigh: “Isn’t a good teammate who has risked their life for you worth a single honest word?”
Mr. A glanced at him, his eyes showing a hint of helplessness.
Xiao Lu was just joking and did not expect a genuine answer. He propped his chin on one hand and asked, “This Duan Kai is different from the original plot’s Duan Kai, is that okay?”
Mr. A examined the crystal in his hand: “As long as it’s ‘Duan Kai’, it’s fine.”
He stopped there, giving no further explanation.
After several exchanges, Xiao Lu had more or less figured out Mr. A’s riddle-like style; anything Mr. A did not intend to say was useless to ask about.
“Was that performance back in the secret passage just now?” Xiao Lu suddenly changed the subject.
Mr. A looked at him, his gaze as deep as a lake, momentarily reminding Xiao Lu of Ye Qi at the moment the secret passage door was about to close.
After a moment, he smiled, light and carefree: “Of course.”
His tone was reserved and soft, mixed with a hint of hoarseness, as if everything he said carried a convincing flavor, making it hard to distinguish whether his words were sincere or feigned.
Xiao Lu thought that this person had chosen the identity of a film emperor as his disguise quite aptly; just this second of changing expressions could probably make him a star in the entertainment industry.
A brief silence fell between them.
After watching the starry sky for a while, Xiao Lu suddenly asked, “What will happen to this world afterward?”
“The Boss is dead, and the plot only writes up to this point. So soon, the world will reset, and everything will start over,” Mr. A said, his gaze still fixed on the galaxy.
“How long can you live?”
“Cough… I can live until the world resets, no problem.”
Xiao Lu glanced at the shocking injuries on Mr. A’s body, which meant that the world reset was not far off.
He thought of Huang Sansheng, who was left in Yun City. Ah Huang had accompanied him this far, but in the end, it seemed there was no chance for a proper farewell.
He wondered if the little fatty would blame him.
Mr. A seemed to see through his thoughts and added, “If you want to see the people of this world again, you can… come back to this world later.”
“When I come back, they won’t remember me, right?” Xiao Lu felt a rare sense of melancholy.
He still remembered these friends and the adventures they had together, but they could only keep cycling through this plot, constantly forgetting.
“Not necessarily,” Mr. A gave an unexpected answer. “When the rules of a world gradually become complete, it will break free from a single time loop. In other words, even if the plot doesn’t write it, the time of this world will actively develop backward.”
“Until one day, it becomes a real world, and at that time, they will no longer forget.” There was a hint of softness in Mr. A’s tone.
“How can the rules be made complete?” Xiao Lu pressed.
“Cough…” Mr. A covered his mouth and coughed lightly, using the motion to discreetly wipe away the blood at the corner of his mouth.
“Well—” he revealed that old fox-like smile again, “If we continue to cooperate, you’ll naturally find out.”
The wind stopped, the brilliant galaxy ceased to twinkle, and the entire world suddenly fell silent.
The time for the world to reset had come.
“We should leave,” Mr. A said.
As soon as he spoke, the world before Xiao Lu abruptly vanished.
·
Xiao Lu fell into a pitch-black void.
No sound, no light, no sense of direction, no sight of a return path.
After a moment, images reappeared before him. Unlike the dark castle from before, this time it was a resplendent banquet hall.
Gorgeous crystal chandeliers hung high above, with exquisitely embroidered velvet drapes hanging on the walls, and the floor was covered with a delicately textured, thick handmade carpet.
Xiao Lu looked around. Mr. A was nowhere to be seen, and like the people around him, he was draped in an unremarkable, unmarked gray robe, wearing a matching black mask that completely obscured his face.
A crowd of people stood closely together, and aside from the different numbers on their chests, it was hard to tell who was who.
In front were several rows of long tables, where the people seated wore matching attire, but their masks were all different, looking more upscale than those of the others.
At the very front was a long table spanning the entire high platform, with the central seat empty and seven seats on each side. Six were seated on the left, while the right side was fully occupied. These people even wore different clothes, and compared to the crowd below, it was clear they were the highest-ranking guests at this banquet.
Gray-robed individuals whispered among themselves.
“How many of the cannon fodder do you think survived this time?”
“Looks like there are fewer than last time.”
“We’re cannon fodder; it’s normal to be consumed a bit in every world, right? Anyway, new ones will come in soon.”
“Surviving this time means we have good luck; how about we go have a drink later?”
“Sure! Let’s not think about those depressing things; since we’re back in the rest area, let’s make it a night to remember.”
“Who else wants to join? Let’s go together later!”
“Count me in!”
Some were making plans for immediate enjoyment. On the other side, someone cast their gaze towards the rows of long tables.
“I really want to be a supporting character; their food looks so delicious, unlike us cannon fodder who can only watch from afar.”
“Then work hard; keep sacrificing for the protagonist to strengthen their impression of you, and one day you can climb up to the supporting character position.”
“Easy for you to say; the upgrade criteria system doesn’t explain anything. I heard someone died for the protagonist 18 times and was still cannon fodder before they kicked the bucket.”
Xiao Lu caught their conversation and approached them: “Are you saying cannon fodder can upgrade?”
The two looked at him in surprise: “Newcomer?”
Xiao Lu didn’t hide it and nodded.
Badge 09644, the taller one said, “It’s not really a secret; after you clear each world, the system will give you an evaluation. The criteria for evaluation are hard to say, but as long as you work hard as cannon fodder, you’ll eventually upgrade. Of course, the premise is that you have to stay alive.”
After saying that, the person laughed heartily, appearing to have a nonchalant attitude towards life and death.
The other, 09645, added, “Don’t be scared by what he said; remember to save up points, and you might not have to die.”
Thinking that the newcomer probably didn’t understand how points worked, the taller one explained:
“Look at your system; after clearing a world, you can see an extra line of points. You can’t tell what it’s useful for usually, but at critical moments when you’re near death, the system has a chance to open a hidden shop where you can exchange a lot of points for life-saving items.”
“But it’s said that the things inside are very expensive, mostly unaffordable for cannon fodder.” The tall one, 09644, didn’t forget to pour cold water on it.
“Hey, you can’t say something good! Give the newcomer a bit of hope!” 09645 was angry.
“I’m just speaking the truth; giving up on fantasies is the only way to face reality,” the tall one, 09644, retorted.
Xiao Lu didn’t mind: “Looks like you two have a good relationship.”
09645 extended his hand to him: “Hello. I’m Zhang Jiuqi, and this iron turtle is Liang Boling. We went through the first world together, and later met in another world, helping each other until the plot ended, so we can be considered friends.”
“Yeah, it’s the kind of relationship where if I die, he can at least dig a hole for me,” Liang Boling said.
“Shut up,” Zhang Jiuqi said with a tone of disdain.
Xiao Lu shook hands with them: “Xiao Lu, nice to meet you.”
“In any case, we’ve been through quite a few worlds. If you have any questions, feel free to ask us. I won’t say how reliable we are, but at least we have firsthand experience, which should be useful for newcomers,” Zhang Jiuqi said.
“Let me first tell you how the seating arrangement works here.”
Zhang Jiuqi pointed to the row of long tables for supporting characters: “See that middle row? Only the top ten supporting characters can sit there. Only those seated at this table are qualified to be promoted to the Top group.”
“Top group? You mean the row at the very top.”
“Yes. That’s where the system ranks the best performers, and they can choose almost any role, even including the protagonist and the boss. I’ve heard their missions are different from ours.”
Zhang Jiuqi continued: “Do you see that one seat on the left is empty?”
Xiao Lu followed his finger to the vacant seat.
“That belonged to the original protagonist group’s Top 1 big shot. It’s said he was exceptionally skilled and could handle all character setups, leaving behind countless legends. When he was around, the protagonist group always dominated the villain group.”
“But he died in some world. After this person died, no one could take the first position in the protagonist group.”
“What’s his name?” Xiao Lu’s gaze was fixed on that empty spot. He wondered what kind of person could achieve such impressive feats.
“Don’t know,” Zhang Jiuqi said. “I’ve asked many people, but no one remembers, and they can’t recall specific deeds, just that he was very impressive.”
He suddenly lowered his voice: “There’s also a rumor that he didn’t die but broke free from the system’s control, but that can’t be verified.”
At that moment, a figure suddenly appeared in the long-empty main seat.
Dressed in black robes and wearing a white mask that concealed all features, he exuded a chilling aura.
Xiao Lu’s heart skipped a beat as he looked at the mask. He had seen the same mask on Mr. A.
As soon as the person appeared, the murmurs in the banquet hall fell silent. The once lively atmosphere became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop, and all eyes were on him, like small animals encountering a top predator.
“Very good,” the person spoke, his voice hoarse, like metal scraping against rough stone, making one feel uncomfortable, with no discernible age or gender.
The owner of the blank mask surveyed the surroundings.
“This time, there are no disobedient fellows, haha.”
Even though his mask did not reveal his eyes, those who met his gaze quickly lowered their heads, fearing to attract his attention. Especially the cannon fodder group, who could be described as silent as the grave.
Seeing the crowd’s reaction, the person withdrew his gaze with satisfaction: “Welcome, everyone, to today’s gathering. I am the overseer of this banquet, 097. I have no interest in those polite opening remarks; let’s get straight to the point.”
With that, he waved his sleeve, and a long table suddenly appeared in the area designated for supporting characters.
In the next moment, Xiao Lu felt the world before him change.
In an instant, he transitioned from standing at the back to the side of this newly appeared table. His clothing also transformed from the unremarkable gray robe to the unified black and white formal attire of the supporting characters.
He touched his face; the plain black mask had changed into one made of dark feathers, covering half of his face. The nose area had a sharp protrusion, resembling a bird’s beak.
The dark mask made his complexion appear even paler, his lips a vivid red, and his eyes like shadows from the abyss, dark yet pure.
Xiao Lu looked around.
There were still many people like him who had transformed from cannon fodder to supporting characters. Everyone wore matching attire, but their masks were all different.
The cannon fodder behind them cast envious or jealous glances at this new table of supporting characters, wishing they could take their place, but unfortunately, they could only think about it, not daring to step forward.
Xiao Lu keenly spotted Zhang Jiuqi and Liang Boling’s badges among the people at the same table. It seemed these two had also upgraded like him, one wearing a white rabbit mask and the other a deep gray mask resembling a hunting dog, both half-masks like the other supporting characters.
Zhang Jiuqi seemed quite dissatisfied with his rabbit mask, secretly rubbing the tall ears, but was pulled down by Liang Boling, signaling him not to make unnecessary movements in front of the overseer.
Soon, the two also noticed Xiao Lu.
Their surprise was even greater than each other’s; a newcomer, one who hadn’t even figured out the grouping yet, had somehow upgraded to a supporting character after just one world.
What terrifying talent or perhaps luck was this?
Because the overseer was above, no one dared to speak, but the two exchanged glances, reading the unmistakable surprise in each other’s eyes. This chance acquaintance might soon become a big shot they could only look up to.
It made one want to say, “If you become rich and powerful, don’t forget your friends.”
Then, the seating arrangement for the top ten supporting characters changed again, with some rising and others falling. But since Xiao Lu was not familiar with them, he didn’t pay much attention.
The protagonist and villain groups in the Top group remained unchanged. Of course, the vacant seat was still empty, particularly conspicuous among the fully seated long table.
This overseer 097 seemed to have a bad temper. But he clearly had no interest in staying for the banquet; after completing his task, he vanished from the spot.
Once the overseer disappeared, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and the atmosphere of the banquet gradually rose.
Sumptuous food, exquisite pastries, and unlimited drinks appeared on the long table, allowing people to feast heartily.
This was their leisure time.
The cannon fodder group could only stand at the back, not allowed to participate in the banquet, and their masks made it impossible to eat. Some looked on eagerly, while others chose to leave.
Xiao Lu casually picked up a steak to try. He found the meat of excellent quality, with delicate marbling, both sides grilled to a slight brown, while the inside still glowed with a tender pink. Upon tasting, it was smooth and soft, exuding a rich aroma, perfectly blended with the carefully prepared mushroom sauce.
At this moment, Zhang Jiuqi approached with a plate, raising his glass to Xiao Lu: “Impressive, brother. I didn’t see it coming; you’re actually a hidden big shot?”
Liang Boling also said: “You’re way better than us. We’ve at least been through ten worlds, right?”
Zhang Jiuqi corrected: “Eleven worlds.”
“A genius.” Liang Boling raised his glass to Xiao Lu as well.
“Just luck,” Xiao Lu said, happily raising his glass and downing it after clinking with them. The liquid was smooth upon entry, carrying the sweetness and fragrance of wheat, with no harshness, a high-quality drink.
Xiao Lu roughly guessed that his rapid upgrade was certainly due to Ivan’s influence. Upgrading relied on the system’s evaluation, and his system was a cracked version.
After the meal, Xiao Lu finally had time to step outside.
He wanted to see what this rest area looked like.
It seemed to be the interior of a building, with two huge floor-to-ceiling windows ahead. One on the left and one on the right, even though they were in the same room, the views on both sides were different.
One side was a world of flying snow. Strange birds flew through the air, some even breathing fire, resembling a magical world.
The other side was a tranquil bamboo forest, with a stream flowing gently, the air filled with a light mist. A bamboo bridge arched over from the west, with an ancient wine gourd hanging from it, exuding a sense of leisurely solitude away from the storms.
“If you want to enjoy the scenery alone, I suggest you order a Negroni at the bar; it pairs well with the views here,” a low male voice suddenly sounded.
The voice was gentle, the tone calm, carrying a familiarity akin to chatting with an old friend.
It was a voice Xiao Lu couldn’t quite call familiar, yet it was hard to forget.
Mr. A.
Xiao Lu turned around but saw no figure. However, in the glass reflection beside him, he saw Mr. A’s familiar silhouette.
He still wore that white mask, but today he had changed into a more formal outfit, accentuating his slim waist and long legs, adding a touch of noble elegance compared to the scholarly air he had last time.
Seeing that no one was around, Xiao Lu whispered, “Mr. A, are you free today?”
Mr. A replied with a smile in his voice: “No, I have many things to attend to.”
“Then why are you here?” Xiao Lu asked him.
“Just to greet my collaborator,” he said, gently swirling the wine glass in his hand, the liquid clinging to the walls of the glass, creating a striking red hue.
“The upgrade was arranged by you.”
“Yes,” Mr. A nodded.
“Not many can upgrade in a single world, but after a while, there will always be a few geniuses. If you publicize your achievement of single-handedly defeating Duan Kai, you could probably directly enter the Top group; that would be unprecedented. At that time, everyone will pay attention to you, and for both you and me, being too conspicuous is not a good thing.”
Xiao Lu raised an eyebrow, surprised that what he had done was so exaggerated.
It turned out he wasn’t upgrading too quickly; rather, his speed of upgrading was being deliberately concealed.
He indeed didn’t want to draw too much attention; the current situation was quite good.
“Alright, I should be leaving,” Mr. A said. “Enjoy your rest time; goodbye.”
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure vanished from the glass.
It seemed, as he said, he had many things to attend to.
After ordering a Negroni recommended by Mr. A, Xiao Lu leaned against the window, watching the different scenes from each window, feeling as if he could see all the world’s myriad forms at a glance.
He had to admit, Mr. A’s taste was indeed excellent.
The drink had a spicy alcoholic taste, with a hint of clear bitterness, yet the aftertaste was slightly sweet. Some said this was the drink that represented life, with its sweetness and bitterness, joy and sorrow, encapsulating the myriad forms of life, perfectly suited to the windows that condensed different worlds.
After finishing the drink, Xiao Lu planned to return to his room for a rest.
Ivan had told him that every performer had their own independent lounge here.
As Xiao Lu walked to the floor dedicated to supporting characters, he found it bustling with noise ahead.
“On what grounds are you not letting us in?” an angry voice rang out, sounding somewhat familiar; it was Zhang Jiuqi, who had greeted him earlier.
As they approached, they discovered that Liang Boling was also there.
The two of them were blocked at the staircase by a group of people dressed in the same supporting character costumes. Although the entrance to the lounge was right in front of them, they could not move forward due to the crowd.
Someone in the crowd spoke disdainfully, “Just came from the cannon fodder group, doesn’t understand the rules.”
“What did you say? Where are the rules written!?” Zhang Jiuqi was seething with anger.
The group blocking the way laughed, “If you want to enter our territory, it’s not that easy. Since you’re newcomers, we need to establish some rules for you:
From now on, remember to call us ‘senior’ when you see us.
Seniors walk in front, and you can only follow behind, not allowed to overtake.
If a senior asks you for a favor, you must respectfully agree. If they ask you to run errands, you run errands; if they ask you to tell jokes, you tell jokes.
Got it?”
“Damn it.”
Zhang Jiuqi was furious at the obvious provocation from this group and immediately wanted to rush up and fight them, but was stopped by Liang Boling: “Calm down! Fighting is prohibited in the lounge area. If you take the initiative to hit them, you’ll lose points.”
Points.
This was a matter of survival for every performer, not just a chance to exchange items from the hidden shop when on the brink of death. More importantly, when points were deducted to zero, they would be erased by the system.
This was something Xiao Lu had just learned from Ivan; in fact, it was already written in the newcomer guide, but he had never bothered to look at it.
Zhang Jiuqi and Liang Boling had been mingling in the cannon fodder group for so long; their points couldn’t be said to be few, but they certainly couldn’t be considered many. At least from their previous conversation, it seemed that exchanging for a life-saving item would be quite difficult.
They absolutely did not want to lose points here for such a nonsensical reason.
The members of the supporting character group blocking the way were clearly aware of this. They knew that the newly promoted newcomers were reluctant to part with their points. So they deliberately came out to block the way, giving them a warning to dampen the pride of these newly upgraded newcomers.
What was it for?
Whenever a group is divided by a hierarchy, there will naturally be those who think they are superior and actively seek to solidify their position. These people may not necessarily be the best in the supporting roles, but seeing someone worse off than themselves always brings them some comfort.
Liang Boling, who usually appeared carefree, was very composed at this moment.
He whispered to Zhang Jiuqi, “Don’t let them provoke you. Let’s think of another way. I don’t believe they’ll be here 24 hours a day. We have three days of rest time; there will be opportunities.”
Xiao Lu’s face behind the mask showed a look of disdain.
What a bunch of idle people who’ve eaten too much. They don’t have much ability themselves, but they’re good at making things difficult for others.
At this moment, someone in the crowd noticed Xiao Lu, such a big person, with all limbs intact and a head, it was hard to ignore him.
Someone immediately pointed at him: “Hey, you over there, come here! The seniors are giving a lecture. What do you mean by standing there like that?”
Zhang Jiuqi and Liang Boling turned around and saw it was Xiao Lu, their faces instantly turned even uglier, and they even subtly gestured for him to leave.
Xiao Lu’s lips curled up.
So fighting leads to point deductions, huh? But he has a cracked system.
“Are you talking about me? What are you laughing at? Hurry up and come over here,” the person said arrogantly to Xiao Lu.
Xiao Lu raised his eyes to meet his gaze.
Hmm, dumb enough, foolish enough, and attention-seeking enough—decided it’s you.
The aggressive senior saw the newcomer he pointed at rushing over quickly. In front of everyone, he pushed off the shoulders of a few people and leaped over the crowd, delivering a kick right at him.
That kick was extremely fierce, hitting him squarely in the chest, sending his body flying backward.
There were already quite a few people gathered at the entrance, and his flying body crashed into other troublemakers, immediately triggering a series of system notifications for point deductions.
【You attacked performer 06793, points -100】
【You attacked the vital points of performer 08564, points -300】
【You caused a fracture injury to performer 09599, points -999】
……
A series of system announcements made the senior’s face turn green.
Clearly, he was the one most injured; why were his points being deducted!!! He was innocent!
Xiao Lu glanced at the points record Ivan had compiled for him, which contained only a single line:
【You attacked performer 07543, points -100】
Yet his visible points were still 2000.
Glancing at the large number of people who had fallen, Xiao Lu quickly discerned the pattern of point deductions. His eyes lit up: oh, so only direct damage counts.
With a look of treasure found, he locked onto the cute and friendly senior: “Senior, you look quite sturdy.”
The senior, who had just been kicked in the chest, suddenly felt something was off.
【Author’s Note】
Spread the word, Xiao Lu likes sturdy bodies.
Mr. A: …
Thanks to the little angels who voted for me with a tyrant ticket or watered nutrient solution between 2021-12-14 20:02:55 and 2021-12-15 16:05:35~
Thanks to the little angel who threw a landmine: Tao Tao 1;
Thanks to the little angels who watered nutrient solution: Yu Fei 30 bottles; Mint Candy has shut down 8 bottles; A Happy Alpaca 2 bottles; Dawn Flame 1 bottle;
Thank you all for your support, I will continue to work hard!
![Flying Dust [Fei Chen]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/9k.png "Flying Dust [Fei Chen]")
![You’re Causing Chaos Again [e-sports]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/1sMqC2JNjIep8Ov.jpg "You’re Causing Chaos Again [e-sports]")
Having a cracked system is really a lifesaver