Zhuang Liang and Qi Jue agreed to meet at a high-end teahouse in the city center. He had been there for ten minutes, but Qi Jue, who was always punctual, had not yet arrived.
He ordered a pot of tea and two plates of dim sum, and while drinking tea and waiting for someone, he browsed the Paradise Forum.
"Recently there's a madman who sold a high-level ring. He's been going crazy on the forum every day. It's terrible."
"It's not just the forums. I heard she's crazy in real life too. She brings her equipment everywhere to block the players in the theme park. It's very scary."
"Can't you tell the difference between reality and games?"
"She entered the game twice and then sold the ring. She broke the rules. I heard that she is forced to enter the game every night. I don't know what she went through. She became crazy when she came out."
"A black ring? Doesn't she know the rules? How can you sell a used ring?"
"I don't know, maybe I'm short of money."
He must be the college student who sold the high-quality ring last time. Zhuang Liang took a casual look at it and walked away.
Some players think that they can get away with it by exiting the game a few times and extending their lifespan, so they foolishly sell their rings and feel complacent about it.
Little did they know that the moment they put on the ring, they had signed a contract with the devil. If they escaped before the ring's uses were used up, it would be considered a breach of contract and would only lead to a more miserable death.
Ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Zhuang Liang answered and Qi Jue pushed the door open.
He changed into casual clothes today, with an upright posture and a resolute look. But he did not come alone, and was followed by a girl.
Zhuang Liang saw the man clearly and stood up immediately: "Why are you two together?"
Qi Jue sat down, picked up the teacup and poured two cups of hot tea, then said, "I met her on the road, and I saw that her situation was similar to mine, so I brought her here."
Zhuang Liang looked at Lu Yao. He had never given up since that day, but he still hadn't found any flaws. He didn't expect that she would appear with Qi Jue.
Lu Yao casually pulled a chair and sat down, not intending to speak first.
She was also unlucky. She came out of the snack bar and was about to go to the dessert shop to buy the matcha mille-feuille that Qi Chen ordered.
I got off the bus at the square and met Zhao Yuqing.
Zhao Yuqing's condition was even worse than the last time she had a manicure. Her hair was disheveled, her clothes were messy, her eyes were dark, her face was haggard, and her expression was extremely crazy.
She rushed out from the side, grabbed Lu Yao's wrist, and waved a fruit knife in one hand, yelling at Lu Yao to return the ring to her.
Lu Yao was startled and stood there, not daring to move or to provoke her.
No one around dared to step forward to help, and when someone was about to secretly call the police, Qi Jue appeared.
He approached silently from behind, knocked the knife out of Zhao Yuqing's hand with precise movements, and subdued her.
Zhao Yuqing struggled so hard that Lu Yao fell to the ground and the ring in his pocket fell out. When Zhao Yuqing saw the ring, she struggled like crazy, trying to shake Qi Jue off and grab the ring.
Lu Yao got up and bent down to pick up the ring.
Zhao Yuqing sat on the ground, pointing at Lu Yao and cursing, accusing Lu Yao of stealing her ring. She was still cursing when she was taken away by Qi Jue's colleagues.
Qi Jue came to see Zhuang Liang because of the ring. When he saw Lu Yao also had it, he forced her to come over.
Qi Jue briefly recounted his encounter with Lu Yao. Ignoring Zhuang Liang's inquiring gaze, he pulled out a black ring from his pocket and pushed it in front of him: "Take a look. Is it new?"
The ring was pitch black with an ancient pattern. Zhuang Liang knew it was a new phantom ring without having to look closely. "Where did you pick it up?"
Qi Jue: "In the pocket of an old piece of clothing. I don't know how long it has been there."
He suddenly had some free time yesterday and was going to clean out some old clothes that he hadn't worn for years, so he took out the ring from an old jacket.
Zhuang Liang: "Since it appeared at home, it must be yours, and it's new."
While speaking, Zhuang Liang's eyes kept drifting towards Lu Yao standing beside him.
Lu Yao didn't want to come originally, but when he heard them talking about the magic ring, he suddenly became interested.
It turns out that these people are all players of the park.
Qi Jue took back the illusion ring, his face solemn: "So I'm going to die too. What will happen if I don't enter the game?"
Zhuang Liang was obviously more interested in Lu Yao. He did not answer immediately, but asked, "She has a ring too?"
Lu Yao remained silent, Qi Jue said: "Yeah, same as me, black."
Zhuang Liang reached out to Lu Yao: "Miss Lu, can I help you take a look?"
Lu Yao wanted to hear what he would say, so he took out the ring and handed it to him.
As soon as Zhuang Liang held it in his hand, he felt that this ring was special.
The color is too dark, as black as thick blood. The patterns on the ring are numerous and complex, with a faint dark light flowing, and it feels very heavy in the hand.
The scariest thing was that this ring didn't seem to have any limit on the number of times it could be used, at least he couldn't see it.
"Where did Miss Lu pick it up?"
Lu Yao followed suit: "At home, I found it from under my pillow when I woke up in the morning."
Zhuang Liang stroked the ring with his fingers and asked, suppressing his excitement, "Miss Lu, are you selling this ring?"
"The ring can still be sold?" Lu Yao found it magical.
He explained: "Unused rings can be sold without any problems. If Miss Lu wants to sell it, please be sure to contact me and I will give you a price that will absolutely satisfy you."
"So there will be problems with used rings?" Lu Yao was not moved at all and reached out to Zhuang Liang. He was a little reluctant and hesitated for a while before returning the ring to her.
Zhuang Liang's eyes fell on the ring and he was reluctant to move them away. He had to explain it to Qi Jue anyway, so he simply told him some rules of the magic ring.
Simply put, there are three types of illusion rings. Those who possess an illusion ring can enter a mysterious game called "Paradise". Those who successfully escape from the game will have their lifespan extended.
As long as the player wears the phantom ring, it means that he has accepted the contract.
The agreement is fulfilled only when one ring has been used up. After that, you can choose to use the second ring to continue surviving, or choose not to enter the game again.
But most people can’t stop once they enter the game.
Death threats are crueler than anything.
Selling a used ring is considered a breach of contract and will be punished by God.
A player like Zhao Yuqing will appear once in a while.
Some are simply stupid and short-sighted, while others think they are special and can escape the punishment of the devil.
The black ring is the most special of the three types of rings and is the least numerous.
You can only enter the game three times, but the first two times you enter the game you can extend your life by ten years. If you can get out of the game alive the last time, it will be like gaining thirty years for nothing.
The paradise does not urge players to fulfill their promises immediately. Anyone who possesses the ring can do so as long as they enter the game before their lifespan ends.
Obtaining the black ring is equivalent to extending one's life by at least twenty years. Players can enter the game twice and then wait twenty years before entering the third time.
No matter what the final result is, twenty years of hard work have been wasted.
So many people want a black ring.
What does it mean that Lu Yao has a black ring with unlimited uses
Enter paradise with this ring, and each time you enter will extend your life by ten years, and there will never be a last time.
Zhuang Liang stared at the ring too intensely, so Lu Yao put it in his pocket and asked one last question: "You guys are buying used rings too?"
Zhuang Liang shook his head: "It's useless to buy it. There's no way to re-sign the contract. But some people can't tell whether a ring is new or old, so they try desperately. If they come across a black ring, they will buy it first and then ask an expert to identify it."
Lu Yao nodded, took out the ring and put it directly on the index finger of his right hand. It was the perfect size and looked pretty good.
Zhuang Liang: “… You!”
He didn't expect Lu Yao to be so decisive. All the thoughts in his mind were instantly shattered with this action.
He was so surprised that his emotions were a little out of control. Just after uttering a word, he suddenly fell silent, his eyes widened, full of confusion and fear.
The moment the magic ring is put on, the player's current lifespan will be displayed above his head, which will disappear after ten seconds.
Zhuang Liang saw a number "two thousand" pop up above Lu Yao's head, the unit was "year".
In a flash, Lu Yao's seat was empty and she entered the game.
Zhuang Liang: “…”
Qi Jue also saw the number above Lu Yao's head, but didn't quite understand what it meant.
Zhuang Liang's eyes were filled with anger. He shook his head and murmured, "How could such an outrageous thing happen in two thousand years? Who is she?"
-
Lu Yao was teleported to a small room that looked like a dressing room. There was a sign with her name on the door. The clock on the wall was ticking and seemed to be counting down. There was also a prop bag in her hand.
It came suddenly and she had not prepared anything. There were only a few coins, a cell phone, keys and a handful of fruit candies in her pocket.
She tried several times, but the prop bag only had one grid and could only hold one item at a time.
Banknotes, mobile phones and keys of the same denomination can be put in, and the candies are spit out.
He didn't know what the specific rules were, but in a flash of inspiration, Lu Yao remembered something. He took out the invitation from the warehouse and stuffed it in without spitting it out, which meant that this thing was allowed to be brought into the game.
This room is more like a preparation room before entering the game, and things that cannot be brought in can be temporarily stored here.
Lu Yao decided to take the invitation in and leave his cell phone, banknotes and keys in the small room.
When the captain of the guards gave her the ring, she had some suspicions. Since the Demon Lord was not outside, he might be in the game.
Zhuang Liang’s words further confirmed her guess that the contract and divine punishment must be related to the devil.
When she realized that Zhuang Liang coveted the ring, she decided to enter the game immediately.
The countdown ended, a white light flashed before his eyes, Lu Yao subconsciously closed his eyes, and when he opened them again he was already in the game.
There was something wet and sticky under his feet. Lu Yao lowered his head, his pupils shrank slightly, and the next second he squatted down and retched.
This is the kind of game it is, no wonder even some residents of Dreamland can’t adapt to it.
-
The Land of Dreams, Paradise on the 99th Floor, Area A.
The moment Lu Yao put on the ring, Bai Jian knew it.
He stood up and walked out of the office, went to the monitoring room on the first floor, pushed open the innermost small room, and stared at the screen closely.
-
In the high-end VIP screening room of the cinema, a restricted scene was playing - an NPC monster was abusing a shark challenger, with limbs flying everywhere and blood flowing like a river.
Blood and death can bring the most direct stimulation to the audience. The cinema was so lively that some people kept giving tips, and some people were jumping and shouting excitedly on their chairs.
Suddenly someone shouted in fear and pointed at the lower left corner of the screen, "Is that the owner of the snack bar?"
The air fell silent, and everyone looked over.
The figure in the corner moved slowly on tiptoe, unaware that she was approaching the monster, but the audience in the theater could already see her face clearly.
With snow-white skin, black hair, and a layer of fluffy warm light covering his entire body, he was different not only from them, but also from those challengers.
It really is her, the snack bar owner!
The audience was in chaos.
"How could she get in? We gave her so much time, she shouldn't have died."
"It's a game of the highest level. Will she be frightened and suffer from psychological trauma?"
"Think of a solution quickly, she's about to run into the fog monster. If she dies, can the snack bar still be open?"
"Although I didn't buy any new products from the snack bar today, I don't want the owner to die!!! I'm counting on her to live!"
In the past, these people relied on the park to kill time, but now most of them come to the park to kill time because they can’t find a snack bar.
Before I could feel happy, I suddenly saw a horror movie.
At this moment, they felt for the first time in a long time the fear of losing something important.
"What should we do? Who is on duty at the park today? Can we get some water?"
At this time in the park, the fog monster that was about to collide with Lu Yao was also at a loss.
How did she get in
What should I do? Should I kill her
If she died once in paradise, she wouldn't really die, but it would leave her with bad memories, right
Will I become unable to cook
The fog monster was distressed and couldn't think of a solution. Seeing Lu Yao getting closer and closer to him, he silently turned around and dived into the thick fog, taking the initiative to distance himself from her.
He has killed all the challengers in this area, so there will be no danger.
Seeing the fog monster run away, the audience in the cinema breathed a sigh of relief.
It seems that this NPC knows the owner, that's good.
However, the next second, they saw Lu Yao step into the blood demon's territory.
This monster is the most violent and cruel one in the game, and it kills people without any hesitation.
Someone clutched his chest and felt difficulty breathing: "Ahhh, turn back quickly! Otherwise you will spend your whole life to heal these few seconds!"
"Why does she love running around so much? Can't she just hide somewhere and wait for the game to end?"
"No, I don't dare to look at it! I'm afraid she will cry."
…
In the game.
Lu Yao endured the uncomfortable sticky feeling under his feet, and the horrible gurgling sound made by every step he took due to the slippery ground. He tried his best to look up and not look at the ground, and quickly stepped over anything he stepped on.
Everything that could be vomited out of the stomach had been vomited out, and it seemed that he had become accustomed to the strong smell of blood.
Just hold on a little longer, find the demon, hand in the invitation and you can get out.
Not far away, a player was forced into a desperate situation, and the blood demon's huge and sharp five fingers grabbed his head.
The player was so frightened that his hands and feet went limp. He could feel the monster's hard fingertips digging into his scalp, and even with his mouth open, no sound came out.
“Puff—Boom—”
A strange sound suddenly appeared, and then a female voice sounded: "I knock! There is blood all over the body, it's so annoying!"
When the Blood Demon heard the voice, his body stiffened for a moment. He turned around and saw Lu Yao lying on the ground, unable to get up, and he hesitated.
Lu Yao tried to get up, but the blood on the ground was thick and sticky, covering her whole body, and she couldn't get up at all.
She was convinced, and even her fear was alleviated a lot.
In the screening room.
"Oh, it's all the blood demon's fault. Why is there so much blood on the ground? She fell and it hurts a lot. Is her hand okay?"
"She's angry. What is Blood Demon doing? Clean up the floor quickly!"
In the game.
The Blood Demon let go of the player and turned to walk towards Lu Yao.
The player escaped death and opened his eyes vaguely.
For some reason, the monster gave up on him and walked towards the girl.
He couldn't help but feel lucky in his heart that at least he was able to survive.
Players don’t feel sorry, because in such an extremely cruel game, survival is an instinct.
But the Blood Demon did not kill the girl as he expected, but instead did something he could not understand.
The Blood Demon walked up to Lu Yao, seemed to hesitate for a moment, and finally slowly extended his hand to her.
Lu Yao, lying on the ground: "..."
The air was eerily silent, and the blood demon's hand remained stretched out.
After waiting for a long time without her coming over, the Blood Demon turned his head helplessly, finally revealing a mouthful of sharp and fine teeth, and spoke carefully: "Hand."
Lu Yao's eyes flashed, and he asked tentatively: "Qing?"
The blood demon turned his head and stopped talking, but his hand was still stretched out.
Until Lu Yao got on top, he carefully closed his five fingers together, so as to lend her strength without hurting her.
Lu Yao has already confirmed that this monster is Qing.
Wow, these guys play the game so wildly.
When he came over just now, she was lying on the ground and thought she was dead.
The forgotten players were confused: ... Is that girl also an NPC? She doesn't look like one at all, but rather like a new player who just entered the game. But what is going on now
He couldn't understand.
The blood demon sent Lu Yao to a tightly closed door, then turned around and disappeared.
The door looked ordinary, with a sign hanging on the door handle that said "Exit".
Lu Yao felt tired and didn't want to stay in the game any longer. He opened the door thinking he would return to the small room he came from, but an ancient battlefield appeared before his eyes.
The sky was filled with yellow sand, the sun was half setting in the distance, swords were stuck everywhere, the ground was littered with dead bones, and the door that had brought her in had disappeared.
After coming out of the game, seeing such scenes again is not scary anymore.
She looked down and found that her body was clean, and all the blood stains from the game had disappeared.
Lu Yao had a guess in her mind about where she was. Without panicking, she looked around for a while and chose to walk towards the setting sun.
Suddenly, sandstorms blew up, making Lu Yao unable to open her eyes. She half-bent her body, put her elbows in front of her forehead, and walked against the wind.
Illusions began to appear in the wind and sand.
Lu Yao saw Qing, who looked like a young man, die on the battlefield, Xingzi got into a car accident, and Li Shasha died of illness due to wound infection...
There were many people she was familiar with. She saw the memory that Qi Chen had lost, saw Gao Yang suddenly die on the train, and saw... Is this Bai Ming
Lu Yao was not sure whether this young man with black hair and black eyes was Bai Ming. He was too different from the young man with silver hair and red eyes in the store, but judging from his personality when he was alive, he was very similar to Bai Ming.
A sixteen-year-old boy saved three elementary school students from drowning, then sank to the bottom of the water due to exhaustion and never woke up again.
…
The people who appeared in the illusion were all people Lu Yao was familiar with in this world, including employees in the store and many customers in the snack bar.
Life and death are often just a choice.
Lu Yao's eyes hurt and his heart felt depressed, so he kept walking and crying.
The crying sound was louder than the wind.
"Who is crying? Disturbing my sleep." An old voice suddenly came.
Lu Yao raised his hand to wipe his eyes and said in a loud voice: "My name is Lu Yao, I am here to see the Demon God."
The old voice said, "I am the demon god. What do you want to pray for?"
Lu Yao took out the invitation from the prop bag and handed it out.
A strong wind blew and the invitation flew into the air, and no one knew where it went.
After a moment, an old and deep laugh came from all directions: "Hahahahahahaha, you want to treat me to a meal? Interesting, really interesting, I will agree to it. Come visit me in three days."
[The final mission: Feast the Demon God has begun! The deadline is three days, please prepare hard! ]
Lu Yao was a little confused. Did the invitation really mean inviting the devil to dinner