MS Chapter 72

Following the logic, Lu Qingjia couldn’t even be sure how many times he had woken up with no memory of what had happened.

He adjusted his state and left the room, heading to the hotel restaurant for breakfast.

This hotel was of high quality with a pleasant environment. Unless absolutely necessary, Lu Qingjia never treated himself poorly.

The breakfast was a buffet with a mix of Chinese and Western cuisine, featuring fresh ingredients that made one’s mouth water at the aroma.

Lu Qingjia picked some of his favorites, found a seat by the window, and enjoyed his meal while observing the surroundings.

He noticed that there were surprisingly few people here.

Not just inside the hotel, but also on the streets outside.

The spacious restaurant, apart from Lu Qingjia who was having his meal, only had one staff member busy behind the counter. It was already past 8 AM, which should be the peak time for breakfast.

This hotel was located in the bustling city center, so it couldn’t possibly be this deserted.

Looking out the window, there was no sign of the usual morning rush hour with people hurrying to work. The few people he did see were acting strangely.

A once bustling city now resembled an empty shell.

Yet all the city’s facilities were functioning normally. After finishing his breakfast, Lu Qingjia found that everything was convenient and unobstructed, except for the lack of people.

Apart from some essential service positions, there was hardly anyone around.

After looking around, Lu Qingjia didn’t find anything of interest, so he didn’t expand his search area.

He believed that if he had truly anticipated waking up with no memory the next day, he would have definitely made the most efficient arrangements to understand the current situation.

With no discoveries around, it undoubtedly meant that there was little value left here.

Lu Qingjia took out the train ticket from his pocket again and saw that there were still half an hour left before departure.

Logically, that train couldn’t have reached this city, yet he was here. It seemed as if he had already passed a checkpoint; few would give up their current advantage to return to the starting point.

But Lu Qingjia wondered where the other Players were.

Before entering a high-level instance, the possibility of an instance serving a single Player was almost zero. Being stuck in this empty city with no clues or hints, aimlessly wasting time, Lu Qingjia felt that the loss might be fatal.

He couldn’t provide any evidence, but sitting here doing nothing made him feel an urgent unease, indicating that his intuition and experience had already sensed the urgency of the situation.

Lu Qingjia summoned the Anywhere Door. If he had made the same judgment yesterday, he would have prepared accordingly as he expected.

Of course, this could further confirm whether he really wasn’t waking up in the game world for the first time.

Lu Qingjia found a map and determined the starting station of that train. If it were him, upon noticing something wrong, he would have definitely left coordinates at the original spot.

Although he had lost the memory of the train’s departure and couldn’t pinpoint the exact location, the approximate range, combined with the existing coordinates, should be sufficient.

Lu Qingjia imprinted the coordinates and direction from the map in his mind, opened the Anywhere Door, and stepped through.

The next second, he appeared in a toilet cubicle.

Exiting the toilet, he saw the bustling station hall. The display boards around the hall showed that it was indeed the starting station on his ticket.

So it was confirmed. He had indeed come to the station as a passenger yesterday, boarded the train, and it was all his personal experience.

At that moment, another train was about to depart, with the same schedule and time as the one he took yesterday. For such fixed-schedule trains between two cities, the departure times were roughly the same every day unless there was an accident.

Lu Qingjia quickly glanced at his ticket again. Sure enough, it only had the year and month, not the day. The entrance was still manually checked.

This meant that if his ticket didn’t have a check mark, he could undoubtedly board the train without any issues.

There were still over twenty minutes before departure, and it looked like they would start checking tickets in a few minutes.

Many people were already lining up.

Lu Qingjia narrowed his eyes and suddenly had a bold idea.

In his hand appeared a mini grenade the size of a lighter, bought from the Infinite Shop. It wasn’t very lethal but had a significant impact.

It could create a loud noise and strong vibration, very effective for intimidation. Since Lu Qingjia had ample Points, he had bought many useful and seemingly useless items.

He tossed the mini grenade, and instantly, the hall was filled with a loud explosion and strong vibrations, even with a cloud of smoke.

A large portion of the seemingly ordinary passengers, who were hurriedly preparing to board the train, all reacted swiftly without exception.

Some even jumped over ten meters high to the ceiling of the station hall, a height impossible for an ordinary human.

Even those with slower reactions could accurately avoid the source of the vibration and take cover behind barriers. Many also had various protective shields or abilities.

This proved Lu Qingjia’s suspicion: more than half of the people in the station were Players.

However, before he conducted this test, he couldn’t sense any of it. Not only was there no Player sense, but his attention was also biased.

For example, he would subconsciously overlook unusual characteristics on a person.

Ordinary Players might not notice this, but Lu Qingjia himself possessed psychic abilities and was a detail-oriented person, so this sense of incongruity stood out and made him suspicious.

After the explosion, those in the station who had reacted to the disturbance found it was just a false alarm and looked at each other.

The previously calm and ordinary atmosphere turned into a cautious one among those around.

The waiting hall had at least three hundred people, with more than half of them reacting to the disturbance. If you included those with greater strength who were better at disguising themselves or those who remained composed due to accurate judgment, the number of Players could easily reach two hundred.

Is such a number of Players possible in an Intermediate Level Game?

Lu Qingjia immediately thought of the Intermediate Player disappearance incident Yang Qian had told him about a few days ago.

Actually, when he heard the news from Yang Qian, he was curious, and with Ouyang Bai’s blessing, it was likely to come true.

But were these Players the ones who had disappeared? Did they fail their tasks or were they stranded here for other reasons?

Anyway, with the tension in the waiting hall, it wasn’t the time to ponder these questions.

Lu Qingjia then went to the boarding gate for his train. The station broadcast announced that boarding had begun for that train, and the passengers for that train had almost finished lining up.

If they were Players from the same session as him, they must have boarded the same train with him yesterday.

Lu Qingjia had successfully reached the destination, but there was no sign of the others. Considering the large number of people stranded at the station, it was possible they were trapped in a lower level of the cycle.

So Lu Qingjia produced a signboard and a marker pen, quickly wrote two lines on it, and just before the ticket check began, he approached the staff at the gate with a shy smile, “Excuse me, I lost something valuable. Could you lend me a minute?”

The staff was stunned and hadn’t reacted yet when Lu Qingjia held up the signboard to the passengers at this gate.

On it was a lost item notice, stating that he had lost a Patek Philippe watch at XX location in the station at X hour X minute X second on X date, and asked if anyone who had passed by that location could recall seeing the watch or any suspicious individuals.

The signboard didn’t have many words and seemed logically chaotic, but the most prominent part was the time accurate to the second.

There were about thirty to forty people in line at this gate. With Lu Qingjia’s mental power and sharp eyes, he immediately noticed that several passengers’ eyes reacted to the time and then looked at him in astonishment.

Lu Qingjia nodded, and then a few people raised their hands, “Speaking of which, I did pass by there and seem to have some impression.”

Then they naturally stepped out of the line and gathered with Lu Qingjia.

Lu Qingjia put on a grateful expression, but as he gathered with them, he also pulled out two passengers who hadn’t responded from the line.

When they tried to resist and struggle, he whispered, “Shut up. If you don’t want to take the train that doesn’t reach the destination again, come with me.”

The two were both shocked by Lu Qingjia’s words and unable to break free from his control. He easily subdued two Intermediate Players, indicating his strength far surpassed theirs.

Under the circumstances, they had no choice but to follow Lu Qingjia.

As for the rest at the gate, some hadn’t reacted yet, while the sharp ones immediately realized that this was a team of Players anxious about their companions.

With the Player sense erased by the rules and so many Players on site, some initially speculated that this was an extremely difficult battle royale.

But regardless, having close to two hundred people was still exaggerated. The time Lu Qingjia mentioned made some of the less slow Players realize that the Players here probably weren’t from the same batch.

The evidence was the time Lu Qingjia used to identify his companions. If there was any way to instantly integrate Players from the same batch under the current circumstances, it would undoubtedly be the real-world entry time.

However, everyone present had entered earlier than that time, and a few had already realized something was wrong.

So after Lu Qingjia’s group left, three Players in the line who saw this situation decisively gave up their task, left the line, and caught up with Lu Qingjia’s team.

“Brother, I think I saw it too.”

Lu Qingjia didn’t refuse, and the group left the waiting hall and entered a nearby Starbucks.

Like the previous city, apart from necessary services, there were hardly any people around.

But there were still passengers hurriedly heading to the station. Although it couldn’t be compared to a real train station, being near the station made it hard to notice the unusual emptiness of this world.

The two Players pulled out by Lu Qingjia were anxious, “Why did you pull us out? The game requires us to reach City A by 4 PM to receive the next stage’s task. It’s over a thousand kilometers from here to City A, and there’s only one train to City A today. If we miss it, our whole group is done for.”

But others who voluntarily followed Lu Qingjia had different thoughts, “You saw the situation just now. More than half of the station is Players, and there are probably more rushing in now.”

“I’ve never seen anything like this. Is there something special about this instance?” They looked at Lu Qingjia.

Lu Qingjia said, “If you’re referring to the task in City A, I’ve already completed it.”

Although he had no memory now, there was no doubt that the Players from the same batch still stuck in this stage’s task, Lu Qingjia had already completed it, otherwise he wouldn’t be in City A.

So now it was certain that even for Players from the same batch, with different task progress, the information they received was also different.

For example, the other five hadn’t reached City A after the train malfunction yesterday, so that small task was automatically considered a failure, returning to the save point to continue this cycle.

But logically, since Lu Qingjia had completed the previous stage’s task, he should have received the next stage’s task prompt by now.

Yet there was no response.

So if he boldly speculated that the entire instance was the Player disappearance instance Yang Qian had told him about, this was a place particularly prone to traps.

For example, using the previous task to divide the Players, while the trigger condition for the subsequent task required all Players to gather, otherwise it couldn’t be triggered. Then if the other Players remained stuck in the previous cycle, Lu Qingjia alone could wait in City A until death without triggering a new task.

However, most people would find it hard to give up the advantage they currently hold, especially since there’s competition among Players. Even if they realize their batch mates might still be stuck, most would be content to maintain their leading position.

This would mean falling right into the rules’ trap.

Sure enough, as everyone was surprised by Lu Qingjia’s statement, some questioning whether he was telling the truth, others speculating if he had a high-level teleportation ability that didn’t require transportation, the task instruction came down.

[Congratulations to XX group Players for passing the interview and obtaining the internship opportunity. Please arrive at the internship location before 10:30 AM today, or the internship qualification will be canceled.]

Then everyone received an address in their minds, of course, this was limited to the Players in Lu Qingjia’s group.

Now no one doubted Lu Qingjia’s claim of having completed the task, finding it unbelievable since the task had been issued less than an hour ago.

The two who were initially cautious were now full of flattery, “Brother Lu, how did you manage to come and go in such a short time?”

Their curiosity wasn’t unfounded.

Generally, Intermediate Players, although possessing various abilities, few could ignore the physical distance of over a thousand kilometers.

Like Lu Qingjia’s Anywhere Door, it was already a powerful ability, one of the key abilities of the Player he had traded with, otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to gain access to the high-level game from Lu Qingjia.

But even with such an ability, there were usage restrictions, such as having to set coordinates in both locations and having a certain understanding of distance and space.

That’s why Lu Qingjia gambled that he had already noticed something amiss yesterday and made the corresponding preparations—of course, he also had the good habit of setting coordinates at important locations in other instances.

Another ability to quickly shorten distance is teleportation. Lu Qingjia didn’t have this ability, but he knew that even Intermediate Players, with teleportation, couldn’t move to a place they felt was too far, and it was likely to have a cooldown period. Plus, new Players didn’t have a conceptual understanding of the so-called City A, so teleporting there in one go was almost impossible.

If they continuously used teleportation, quickly shortening the distance within sight to reach the destination, then to be honest, it wasn’t as efficient as Lu Qingjia using Bullethead’s super speed.

So everyone marveled at Lu Qingjia’s extraordinary mobility and the power of his similar abilities.

Lu Qingjia checked the time, “It’s still early before 10:30. That place is half an hour’s walk from here. If you haven’t eaten, you can grab a meal first.”

He then said to the three Players who followed him out, “It seems you don’t belong to the same group, so you can’t form a team for now.”

“I don’t know what your current task is, but as a friendly reminder, it’s best to find all members of your team first. The train can’t reach the destination, but with this distance, there must be at least one person in your team who can barely make it within the stipulated time.”

“But make sure that person will return after reaching City A, otherwise your group will still be divided, and the task can’t proceed.”

With the words said to this extent, based on the Players’ abilities, they should have a way to ensure entering the current progress of Lu Qingjia’s group by tomorrow.

The three Players were somewhat disappointed they couldn’t hitch a ride directly, but since they had been guided to this extent, they still expressed their gratitude.

They also reminded, “By the way, I don’t know if it’s the same for your group, but when we entered the game, we were told that the Players were divided into two groups, most likely in a competitive relationship.”

Hearing this, the Players behind Lu Qingjia became tense.

Lu Qingjia nodded, “I guessed as much, but I believe, at least so far, this hint is a trap.”

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a commotion in the waiting hall. Ordinary passengers ran out in panic. When asked, they said a body had been found in the restroom.

Lu Qingjia revealed a mocking smile, “See, a team with a dead member, even if someone has completed the task, can’t trigger a new task upon returning, so the entire team has to fall into the cycle until they perish.”

How malicious.

Lu Qingjia wasn’t so sure at first, but this hint made him certain.

The so-called instance wasn’t about the task, at least not yet. The task content was really irrelevant, as everything served to prevent Players from clearing the instance.

Of course, other instances were like this too, where tasks always had their difficulties. But this one was clearly different, with a malicious intent to manipulate and obstruct, rather than focusing on improving the Players.

So Lu Qingjia admitted, “Don’t worry, even if you believe the rules’ hint and preemptively kill the so-called ‘opposing’ Players to earn Points, they will be reset the next day.”

“Correspondingly, the killed Players will still revive after the refresh, rather than confirming death and leaving the game.”

“An existence in this instance couldn’t bear to let any Player go.”

The group was puzzled, but one well-informed Player had some speculation.

He tentatively asked, “That legendary Player disappearance incident? After entering the game, they disappeared without a trace, neither alive nor dead?”

“You mean this is that instance?”

Lu Qingjia nodded, “Eighty percent.”

Then the Player briefed the group on the recent rumors. Even with their experience in clearing instances, they couldn’t help but feel anxious about this inescapable instance.

After all, before Lu Qingjia returned, they didn’t even know this wasn’t their first time on the train.

Someone held onto hope, “Even if we’re trapped in the cycle, or we luckily pass this stage only to fall into the next trap and can’t clear the instance for a long time, according to the game rules, no matter how long we stay in the instance, as long as the instance is cleared, we can still return to reality, right?”

“Why didn’t the Players return to reality after two seconds? Even if it’s a body? Why did they disappear?”

Lu Qingjia gestured towards the ticket counter, “I think that’s the reason.”

This station’s ticket counter was at the entrance, with three windows providing service simultaneously.

But buying a ticket didn’t require cash, mobile payment, or a card; it was directly using a fingerprint.

Several Players who seemed bewildered were guided by the ticket sellers to purchase tickets.

But after each person bought a ticket, the machine would announce—

“Remaining purchase times: 6.”

“Remaining purchase times: 4.”

“Remaining purchase times: 5.”

“Remaining purchase times: 2.”

Lu Qingjia said, “I think I noticed something yesterday. I chose passengers with zero remaining ticket purchases, followed them, entered the same carriage, and had a conversation with them to confirm their identities as Players. Then, when the train stopped due to a track malfunction, I confirmed something.”

That’s why he deliberately left traces of his disheveled appearance and ensured that the surrounding environment provided no information, driving himself to return to the station and reunite with the other Players from the same batch to proceed with the next task.

“How… how did you know?” one Player asked cautiously. “Have you regained your memories? Because we haven’t yet.”

Lu Qingjia shook his head. “Not yet.”

Then he smiled and said, “But don’t you think this situation is too intriguing to ignore?”

So intriguing that if it were him, he would never let it go.

As for the fact that he was able to retain traces of himself after waking up in City A, if returning to the save point only erased memories and didn’t clear the traces on the Players, then it wouldn’t make sense for so many Players to still be stuck in this round, unable to move forward.

After all, those who reached the Intermediate Level Game were rarely fools. They might miss other details, but when it came to changes in themselves, especially concerning their lives, they would definitely be vigilant.

So, during the reset, the traces on their bodies should also be restored to a certain node.

Yet, the version of himself from yesterday managed to leave so many clues. If entering the next round allowed rewards and retained traces on the body, then sealing memories would be redundant.

Therefore, Lu Qingjia guessed that, in reality, this instance wanted to completely prevent all Players from noticing any clues. But even in a Horror Game, rules must be followed, and Players couldn’t be given an unsolvable dead end within their Abilities.

So, it must be the same here. It wasn’t that the instance didn’t want to, but that it couldn’t.

It had to set a node, and the version of himself from yesterday had likely grasped the key, allowing him to retain his traces.

For example—before entering the so-called interview office.

With this speculation, a prompt suddenly sounded in Lu Qingjia’s mind: [Key clue unlocked. Memory restored.]

Then, a memory from yesterday surfaced in Lu Qingjia’s mind.

It was more or less as he had guessed. At the time, he noticed the remaining ticket purchase counts of each passenger and was curious about what would happen when those counts reached zero.

So, he followed two passengers whose counts had reached zero, chatted with them along the way, and quickly confirmed that they were Players.

With Lu Qingjia’s strong emotional intelligence, it was easy to build rapport. Afterward, they exchanged phone numbers and WeChat IDs, maintaining contact.

When the train had been running for an hour, it encountered a track malfunction. Initially, the broadcast announced that they would resume in half an hour.

However, after half an hour, the delay was extended to another hour.

It felt like they were stalling for time.

Lu Qingjia decisively jumped off the train and ran at full speed to City A, completing the task.

Before entering the interview office, with ten minutes left on the task timer, Lu Qingjia made a video call to the two Players whose counts had reached zero.

He watched their reactions in real-time, from their initial disbelief at his Player Abilities to their confusion, and then their astonishment at the fact that he was already in City A.

It was as if they had completely forgotten their identities as Players and had turned into ordinary people.

At the same time, Lu Qingjia was reminded by the company staff to pay attention to his appearance, as a poor impression on the interviewer could make the next steps of the process difficult.

In that flash of insight, Lu Qingjia seemed to understand what the ticket purchase counts represented and why Players went missing in the Game.

The Players on the train hadn’t received any hints, yet some had boarded the train multiple times without noticing, while he had someone reminding him.

Perhaps the greatest significance of successfully reaching City A, aside from being able to continue the next task, lay here.

So, Lu Qingjia stood up, smiled at the staff, and said, “Thank you for the reminder, but I believe my current disheveled state is a badge of honor for my effort in this job.”

“I’ll attend the interview like this.”

After saying this, he noticed the sweet smile on the staff member’s face twist for a moment.