"The information I received here is that the puzzle card was about to break through the myth level, and then something went wrong in the process."
After thinking for a while, Bai Zhi simply told the information he knew.
"As for what exactly went wrong, that's not something I can know. How about this, I'll tell you some of the information I know, and you'll tell me the information I want to know, and we'll do it between us. How about an equal exchange?”
"What do you want to know?"
After a moment of silence, the tombkeeper asked.
"Martyr. You have said this word many times before, right?"
Bai Zhi snapped his fingers.
"How about we start with the term martyr to explain the exchange of information between each other?"
"...A martyr? Completely give up your identity as a human being, integrate everything about yourself into the puzzle card, voluntarily become the guardian of Kaitan, and stick to your post for decades, and you are happy... This He is the so-called martyr.”
The old man sighed softly in his mouth.
"Containment sites like these [Kaitan Cemetery] frequently encountered problems when they were first built. These containment sites require a qualified manager, but even the most powerful players cannot do so here. We stayed for too long. In order to solve this problem once and for all, we have researched this way."
"The way you have developed is to turn players into puzzle cards?"
Bai Zhi frowned slightly.
"Is there a better way? To protect our world, we willingly make sacrifices."
When he said this, the tombkeeper shook his head slightly.
"But no martyr can persevere all the time. Even a martyr with a firm mind will always have a day when his belief collapses over a long period of time, and then he will be contaminated by the weird stories he guards, and eventually die... Just like I do."
"Martyrs... do you think these people count?"
After thinking for a while, Bai Zhi told the tombkeeper in front of him everything about the conductor on the train and the robot that distributed the qualification cards.
Before he was done, he took out his qualification card from his backpack and put it on the table.
However, for some unknown reason, Bai Zhiyou found that his qualification level had risen by one level.
"... Of course they count."
For some reason, after hearing Bai Zhi's story and seeing the qualification card that Bai Zhi put on the table, the tombkeeper seemed to be in a trance.
"Although there is only a slight difference between a martyr and a ghost story, as long as you can persist in your beliefs, you will always be a martyr."
"Yeah?"
After thinking for a moment, Bai Zhi reached out and pushed his qualification card in front of the tombkeeper's eyes, and then asked.
"So what does the screening mechanism that exists in the core area and this qualification card issued by the martyrs really mean?"
"… have no idea."
He lowered his head and glanced at the qualification card on the table, with no intention of reaching out to touch it. The tombkeeper shook his head gently and spoke slowly.
"I have been disconnected from the outside world for too long. For twenty years, I have no idea what they have done or what they are going to do."
"Really? That would be such a pity."
After staring at the tombkeeper in front of him for a while, Bai Zhi took back his qualification card.
"By the way, there is one more thing I have here. I hope you can explain it to me. This matter is related to a genius player in your world..."
Immediately afterwards, Bai Zhi completely told the tombkeeper in front of him about the series of things that happened to Tianhuo's master.
A talented player who reached an epic rating at a young age was brutally persecuted by the top brass of their world, and this happened when a mutation occurred in the most important place in their world. This matter was unreasonable no matter how you looked at it.
But this time, after listening to his story, the gravekeeper in front of Bai Zhi was silent for a long time.
While the tombkeeper was silent, the black hole that originally only existed on his face began to spread, swallowing up his neck and body.
-The end result of out-of-control desires is to be completely swallowed up by one's own desires in the end.
Just when the black hole was about to swallow up his neck, this person, who was probably the last gravekeeper, stood up from the table and walked to the window with his body supported by his hands.
Looking up at the fragmented sky above his head, the tombkeeper's words were full of cold edge.
"I think I have an idea of what the people in the council are trying to do."
"What do you want to do?"
Bai Zhi turned his head and looked at the other party.
"What to do? They want to tarnish the dignity of the martyrs!!"
The previous weakness had faded away, and now the tombkeeper's words were full of rage.
“They want that person to be a puppet that can be manipulated and then exist as a martyr to that puzzle card!!”
"Puppet...martyr..."
Listening to the words of the tombkeeper in front of him, Bai Zhi's eyes flickered slightly with interest.
"You said before that the legendary puzzle card is the core here, right? Although I don't know which puzzle card you are the martyr of, you control this cemetery. If she becomes that If she is a martyr with a puzzle card, can she control the entire realm of confusion? Under this premise, those in the parliament will inevitably want someone who can completely and stably control it. …”
"This is just nonsense!!"
The tomb guard spoke angrily.
"Twenty years ago, we set regulations that absolutely cannot be changed. Martyrs are not children playing house. Whether you can become a martyr must be voluntary!! They are tarnishing the dignity of martyrs!! "
"Nothing can be changed, and the same goes for regulations. Those people only care about interests, not dignity."
Bai Zhi shook his head and spoke very calmly.
"If you go by your own words, then the two conductors on the train I talked about before were typical examples of being forced to become martyrs... At the very least, they did not do so voluntarily."
"..."
After a moment of silence, he controlled his emotions well, and the old man sat on the chair again.
"... The changes that occurred in the core area have nothing to do with the martyrdom, but should be related to the promotion of that card. It took us decades to finally make that card break through to the level of myth, but for everything after the breakthrough, We are completely unaware of the changes that have taken place.”
"So if you want to know the specific changes that have occurred, you have to find real insiders?... Okay, I understand, it's your turn to tell."
Knocking on the table with his knuckles, Bai Zhi spoke.
"For example, what is the layout of the core area, and how many martyrs are there like you here?"
"I only remember the layout 20 years ago, do you need it?"
Turning his head and looking out the window, the tombkeeper's tone returned to calmness.
"Nine epic-level puzzle cards correspond to a total of nine martyrs. These nine martyrs were all epic-level players before. If the other eight people were not as useless as me, they should still exist in the core area. here."
"In other words, there are eight places like [Kaitan Cemetery] in the core area?"
Bai Zhi raised his eyebrows slightly.
"...seven. Since the [Qualification] puzzle card has been divided into those qualification cards, then... one of her should no longer exist."
Looking at the tomb outside, the tone of the tombkeeper became deeper, as if he was remembering something.
"In addition, in 20 years, there are another 81 perfect-level puzzle cards, and we don't know how many martyrs and corresponding shelters will be born."
"Is there a map?"
"...Under this situation, I suggest you not to approach that kind of place rashly."
As if he saw Bai Zhi's thoughts, after a moment of silence, the tomb guard spoke.
"Those places that are equivalent to the [Kaitan Cemetery] are not places that humans can set foot on, and under the current circumstances, there will be big and small problems like mine here. Go, You may not be able to come back.”
"So is there a map? Let me give you a warning."
Bai Zhi shrugged slightly.
"Also, besides that, how can my companions get out of that realm of desire?"
"Breaking and defeating the illusion of your own desires is the only way to come out of it."
The tombkeeper answered bluntly.
"Those who enter will have all their memories and abilities sealed, and you will become addicted to your own desires. When your desires get out of control, you will be swallowed up."
"So, it doesn't seem too difficult to get out of it?"
After thinking about it for a moment, Bai Zhi looked at the old man in front of him strangely.
"How could you, as a player with an epic rating, sink to the point where your desires are out of control?"
"I am not a human being, nor a player, but a so-called martyr. If the puzzle card is affected, I will naturally be affected, but it doesn't matter. Sooner or later, this day will come."
Looking at the black hole that gradually spread to his shoulders, the old man's tone was unreasonable.
"I probably understand a little bit why [Qualification] is divided into those qualification cards. She probably encountered the same experience as me, but she was affected more deeply than me. Instead of dying so worthlessly, it's better to It's better to do more while you still have the ability to move... This is indeed her style."
"she?"
Bai Zhi keenly noticed the slight emotional changes in the other party's tone.
"My wife, I haven't seen her for 20 years, but I didn't expect that when my life was about to come to an end, I would hear news about her from you."
As if smiling at himself, the old man walked to the bed. After a moment of fumbling, he carefully picked up an old yellowed photo from under the bed.
"Also, don't be an old man. I am not yet forty-five years old. Don't think that I won't dare to beat you because you are handsome."
Handing the photo to Bai Zhi, the old man seemed to snort softly.
"When I was young, I was no worse than you."
- He still seems to be brooding about what happened over there at the tomb.
Glancing at the old man in front of him, Bai Zhi reached out and took the photo.
Above the photo is a family portrait of a family of three.
A handsome man with short silver hair, a beautiful and energetic woman with a purple side ponytail, and an infant child in the woman's arms.
As Cheng and the other party said, the man in the photo was indeed quite handsome, but Bai Zhi's eyes were not focused on the man, but on the woman standing next to the man holding a child in her arms.
-The woman's face is about 70% similar to the appearance of Tianhuo's master.
Volume One: The Gap between Virtuality and Reality: Chapter 830 Chapter 820 [Maze of Desire] (7,000)
The photos have turned yellow over time, but they have been well preserved.
Although a long time has passed, there are no scars on this photo. It is obvious that the owner of this photo has great love for this photo.
"Son or daughter?"
After staring at the photo in front of him for a while, without showing any other emotions, Bai Zhi handed back the yellowed old photo, and then asked the other party with great interest. got up.
-Although it is said that the purple-haired mecha girl who is Tianhuo's master is very likely to be the other party's daughter, what can he say about something like this? The other party has always believed that their daughter lives an ordinary but happy life. Why should they break this illusion in the other party's heart when his life is about to come to an end
"Daughter, she follows her mother."
Taking the photo, the tombkeeper seemed a little proud.
"Don't try to trick her. A handsome guy like you looks like a scumbag at first glance. Under our arrangement, she will not become a dangerous player, but will live a happy and ordinary life. By now, she should be in a state of grace and beauty."
"A handsome man is a scumbag? Then your basis for judgment is really superficial."
Bai Zhi rolled his eyes.
"Aren't you handsome yourself? Are you also a scumbag?"
"Isn't it? Anyway, I never thought I was a good man."
Not wanting to put the photo away carefully again, the tombkeeper came to the table and sat down.
"Although I have been alone in this kind of ghost place for 20 years, I still have good eyesight. If you look at it, you will be killed. I don't want my precious daughter to get involved with you."
"Have it?"
Bai Zhi reached out and touched his chin, with a thoughtful look on his face.
"Speaking of which, why don't I feel like I've committed a misfortune?"
"Those who are in authority are confused, but those who are onlookers know clearly. You are destined to be a bad person."
It seems that because no one has chatted with him for a long time, or because he has put down something in his heart, the tomb guard seems to be quite talkative at this time.
"Okay, let's turn the topic to the real thing. That thing is not that simple. If it really wakes up completely, then everyone in the entire realm of confusion will be pulled into the realm of desire. .”
Turning his head to look at the cemetery outside the window, the gravekeeper shook his head slightly.