Chapter 83 — IAVD (QT) Chapter 83

In this world, malevolent ghosts were the weaker side.

Because this world was filled with a vast number of spirits, everyone dealt with ghosts on a daily basis. As a result, people were extremely familiar with them. Dozens of related apps were installed on their phones, capable of dealing with any damage or disasters caused by ghosts. On average, everyone was a ghost-catching expert.

Aside from ordinary people who treated ghosts with a calm attitude, there were also ghost catchers from inherited sects, Daoists, monks, or professionally trained students from specialized universities. Their pressure and deterrence toward ghosts were even greater.

Once a malevolent ghost appeared in the world, it would not survive three days before being subdued and detained.

If Ji Xiu wanted to complete the mission, not only did he need the courage to fight malevolent ghosts face to face, he also had to stay alert against ghost catchers passing by.

Sure enough, the malevolent ghost they had finally discovered was also discovered by another group. Because Ji Xiu’s team had sent out the long-haired older sister, who was inexperienced and inefficient, dragging things out and moving too slowly, the malevolent ghost they had spent two days searching for was snatched away right in front of their eyes by a group of fierce ghost catchers.

Seeing this scene, the long-haired older sister was so angry she nearly spat blood, while also deeply regretting that she had not acted sooner.

In a moment of impulse, she wanted to say something harsh, but Ji Xiu stopped her.

“Forget it,” Ji Xiu said, his gaze sweeping over the other side. “Let’s change places and keep looking.”

They were already deep in the mountains. They had the app and Da Huang. As long as they kept searching, they would find one eventually. There was no need to start a dispute with NPCs.

Back at the city hall, they had already seen how important malevolent ghosts were to ghost catchers. They were crucial items for promotion, equivalent to an iron rice bowl. There was no way the ghost catchers would voluntarily hand over a malevolent ghost just because of a few words from Ji Xiu’s group.

They were not maliciously stealing monsters. It was simply that both groups had discovered the same malevolent ghost at the same time and had not noticed each other.

Ji Xiu was not someone who liked to suffer losses, but he was also not unreasonable.

He greeted the ghost catchers from afar, then waved his hand and led everyone off in another direction.

Once they entered deeper into the mountains, the second malevolent ghost was obtained quite easily. This time, the winner of rock paper scissors was Huang Wenli.

It was Huang Wenli’s first time using the app. She was extremely excited, yet worried someone might come and snatch the ghost away, leaving her flustered and nervous.

After finally capturing the malevolent ghost into her phone, she exclaimed, “This app is kind of like a Pokeball.”

Lu Zhizhen had accompanied her the whole way and witnessed everything. She nodded in agreement. “It really is a bit like that. But this thing is way more useful than a Pokeball. If only we could bring it back into the game and use it as an item.”

Ji Xiu needed to lead everyone to the next concentration point of yin energy. Hearing this, he casually replied, “What kind of sweet dream are you having? Move.”

Huang Wenli and Lu Zhizhen were hit with a bucket of cold water. They calmed down and realized it was probably impossible, feeling a bit disappointed.

This thing was simply too overpowered.

Perhaps for the people of this world, it was just an ordinary self-defense app. But for players struggling on the edge of death, it was nothing short of a cheat.

No matter what kind of supernatural world it was, as long as they found a ghost, the player could instantly clear the level.

Would the game really be this kind? Huang Wenli and Lu Zhizhen felt it was unlikely and pursed their lips gloomily.

Suddenly, at that moment, a voice flashed through everyone’s minds at the same time.

Congratulations to the player for triggering a side quest. Mission content: bring back the source files of the “Ghost Capture Device” app. Reward: 10,000 points.

When they heard this voice, everyone revealed looks of disbelief.

What did this mean? Did the game also want them to bring this app back?

And a side quest?

Players who had reached this level, aside from Ji Xiu, who among them had not gone through more than twenty worlds and countless battles? Even so, this was the first time they had encountered a side quest.

Such a high point reward was even more lucrative than the main quest.

Everyone fell into a frenzy of excitement, starting to think about how to bring the source files back.

Ji Xiu, however, thought a step further.

Obviously, his instincts had been correct. The game consciousness had been by their side all along. That was why it released this side quest right after they spoke.

But why did it want them to bring the app back?

The app’s only function was to capture ghosts. It had no other use. If the game wanted the app, that meant it wanted ghosts.

Ji Xiu pondered for a moment, then suddenly let out a cold laugh, his gaze deep and dark.

So that was how it was.

If the game consciousness was compared to a computer program, then just as a computer needed energy to run, the game also needed energy. The difference was that computers needed electricity, while the game needed ghosts, or more precisely, yin energy.

Everything it did was for the sake of obtaining yin energy.

It drew in countless players and sent them into various worlds, letting them encounter ghosts in life and death situations, all for yin energy.

When players struggled in the game and returned to the City of Games, the yin energy clinging to them would naturally merge into the city and be absorbed by the game. It seemed small, but with sheer numbers, it was enough to sustain operations and even leave surplus energy to open new worlds.

Blocking Ji Xiu from returning home, forcing him to watch Wang Qiuyue and Ji Chunsheng die and become NPC ghosts, was also for yin energy.

Wang Qiuyue’s obsession was too deep to resolve in one go, so it repeatedly reloaded the save. Every player who passed through the ending could extract yin energy from Wang Qiuyue. Through long-term repetition, it squeezed her yin energy to the extreme.

Issuing side quests was also for yin energy.

If it could obtain a heaven-defying artifact like the “Ghost Capture Device,” it would no longer need to carefully steal yin energy. It could let players plunder ghosts on a large scale and easily obtain inexhaustible yin energy.

Why did the game not directly take the source files itself?

From observation, the game even dragged its feet when assigning player identities, only stepping in after Ji Xiu obtained clues himself. Clearly, this was a newly opened world created with energy by the game, one it had not yet explored. It did not understand this world either.

The arrival of Ji Xiu and the others meant they carried the responsibility of pioneering.

The game likely valued this newly discovered world highly. After all, it was completely different from previous worlds. Ghosts were everywhere, yin energy filled the skies. If yin energy and ghosts were counted as energy, this world’s energy level was even higher than that of the City of Games. So the game coveted this world’s energy and sent people here, yet it was not fully at ease, so it descended itself as well.

However, because its influence in this world was too weak, it could not openly issue missions. It could only use the company as a front, sending out tasks unrelated to the real objective.

That was why “capture three malevolent ghosts,” a task that did not even approach A-rank difficulty, was rated as A-rank.

As the game gradually learned more about this world and obtained increasing amounts of energy from it, this situation would likely change.

And the “Ghost Capture Device” was an unexpected windfall. The benefits it could bring were far greater than simply capturing three malevolent ghosts.

That was also why the game issued a side quest to have players bring back the source files.

The company where Ji Xiu and the others initially arrived specialized in ghost-related apps. Their application of ghostly power had surely reached an extremely high level. The source files stored on the company servers could not be stolen by the game, so it had to rely on players to act.

Unfortunately,

Ji Xiu did not want to see that day come.

If he remembered correctly, he could have stopped Wang Qiuyue and Ji Chunsheng from meeting with disaster back then. It was the game consciousness that blocked him outside Ji Family Village, causing that tragedy to happen again.

Ji Xiu closed his eyes and thought silently.

…

Ji Xiu did not join the discussion. The other four excitedly fantasized about how to steal the source files, growing more and more animated.

Ji Xiu opened his eyes and poured a bucket of cold water on them.

“Do you even understand source code?”

“….” The four froze.

That question was absolutely lethal. None of them were programmers. Even if the source files were placed right in front of them, they would not recognize them.

It was obvious now why the side quest reward was so high. It was because it was extremely difficult. They should focus on completing the main quest first.

The group felt dejected and could only follow Ji Xiu onward.

In the City of Games, players could use points to enhance their physical attributes, but they could not gain the flashy superpowers found in novels. When encountering ghosts, aside from relying on wit to evade fatal danger, they could only stubbornly resist with weapons and talismans.

In the past, everyone ran for their lives when encountering ghosts. Chasing malevolent ghosts for the first time felt very novel.

Once again, under Da Huang’s guidance, they captured another malevolent ghost. The four’s praise and worship of Ji Xiu reached a peak.

Seeing that everyone had gathered three malevolent ghosts, Ji Xiu nodded and said, “Let’s go. We’re leaving Dianqing Mountain.”

Lu Zhizhen’s eyes were full of joy. “Boss, we finished the mission early. We still have three days left. We can use that time to go to the company and try the side quest.”

Ji Xiu said, “I advise you not to act recklessly.”

Huh? Everyone was confused.

Ji Xiu said calmly, “If you get sued for stealing company secrets, you can reunite with that child in prison.”

Thinking of the pleated-skirt girl’s current situation, everyone froze.

If they submitted the mission, they would likely return to the City of Games early. If they held off and went to attempt the side quest, and got caught, they would not even be able to submit the mission. They would only be waiting for death.

Thinking of that outcome sent chills through them, and they completely gave up on the possibility of the side quest.

Ji Xiu swept his gaze over them, feeling slightly satisfied.

“Let’s go.”

However, plans never kept up with changes. Accidents always came without warning.

Before Ji Xiu and the others could leave Dianqing Mountain, they encountered a group of fleeing ghost catchers. Upon closer inspection, they were the same people who had taken the first malevolent ghost from them the other day.

They burst out of the dense forest. When they saw Ji Xiu’s group standing by the roadside, their expressions changed drastically. As they ran, they shouted warnings. “Run, run fast! A wild fierce ghost has gone mad behind us!”

A fierce ghost?

It was Ji Xiu’s first time encountering a berserk fierce ghost. His heart stirred, and the firewood cleaver instantly appeared in his hand from the item inventory.

Since leaving Ji Family Village, this was the first time Ji Xiu had used the cleaver.

In that instant, Wang Qiuyue revealed a look of nostalgia.

Ji Chunsheng was eager to try. “Dad, how about we go deal with this nasty fierce ghost together?”

The ghost catchers ran closer. They were too tense to notice Wang Qiuyue and her son. They looked at Ji Xiu and the others with terror. “Why aren’t you running yet? We’re not lying to you, it’s really a fierce ghost!”

In that brief moment, someone realized Ji Xiu and the others were ordinary people. Their face stiffened. “You’re not ghost catchers. Why are you coming to Dianqing Mountain to die?”

Dianqing Mountain continuously produced malevolent ghosts because some people did not want to live anymore but did not know how to commit suicide, so they ran deep into the mountains to encounter ghosts.

Ghost catchers had seen many such people in Dianqing Mountain and immediately thought of this.

Ji Xiu casually said, “You should retreat to the back. I’ll deal with the fierce ghost.”

This sentence further reinforced the ghost catchers’ belief that Ji Xiu and the others were here to die.

This world had protective laws regarding suicide. Some people committed suicide not because they wanted to die, but because they were tired of being human and wanted to become ghosts.

Preventing their suicide would become a form of racial discrimination.

Of course, committing suicide by entering Dianqing Mountain was another matter. People who came here clearly did not want to live, and feared becoming ghosts with retained consciousness. That was why they came to Dianqing Mountain, hoping to be devoured by other malevolent ghosts after turning into ghosts, completely erasing their consciousness.

In the ghost catchers’ eyes, Ji Xiu’s group clearly belonged to the latter.

They exchanged hesitant glances, then helplessly ran past Ji Xiu and the others, continuing forward.

Since they wanted to die, they would let them stay.

An elderly ghost catcher hesitated, then kindly advised before leaving. “Suicide is not advisable. Think about your past life. There must be someone who would be reluctant to see you go.”

Ji Xiu chuckled. Faced with this goodwill, he explained a bit more. “Don’t worry. No need to worry about us.”

The elderly ghost catcher sighed. For the sake of his own life, he gave up persuading them and continued running.

Ji Xiu stood in place, looking into the distance, waiting for the fierce ghost to appear.

“Woof woof!” Da Huang suddenly barked twice and ran forward.

Ji Xiu frowned slightly. “It ran?”

Da Huang wagged its tail. “Woof!”

Ji Xiu raised his brows. “Lead the way. Let’s chase it.”

Da Huang excitedly jumped twice, chasing the faint traces of fierce ghost aura in the air like it was chasing butterflies, leading Ji Xiu into the dense forest.

Ji Chunsheng anxiously jogged after them. “Dad, me too!”

Ji Xiu slowed slightly to wait for him. Father and son, along with one dog, entered the forest and quickly disappeared.

The remaining people could not catch up, nor dared to follow, and stayed where they were.

Without Ji Xiu by their side, Wang Qiuyue’s presence suddenly became very strong.

Lu Zhizhen belatedly remembered that the boss’s wife had once wanted to kill her.

She shivered and could not help but move closer to Huang Wenli.

Huang Wenli was startled and seemed to remember something as well, turning to look at Wang Qiuyue.

These past few days, they had failed to cling to Wang Qiuyue’s thigh. With Ji Xiu around, they did not need to worry, so they had simply given up.

But now, with the boss gone, being in close proximity to a fierce ghost whose depth they did not understand…

Everyone subconsciously stepped back.

This was normal, but doing so really hurt a ghost’s feelings.

Wang Qiuyue saw it and remained calm and indifferent.

In this world, only Ji Xiu could still smile and tuck her hair behind her ear after seeing her ghostly form.

Only Ji Xiu could always put her will first.

She had never held expectations for outsiders from the beginning, so she would naturally not be hurt by their attitude.

If Ji Xiu had not asked her to look after these people, she would have followed him long ago.

Half an hour passed, and Ji Xiu still had not returned.

The four left behind grew anxious.

The title of fierce ghost was simply too intimidating. Even Huang Wenli and Lu Zhizhen, who had personally witnessed Ji Xiu’s strength, could not help worrying that something might have happened to him.

The long-haired older sister among the twins was even more worried.

After a while, her expression changed. She suddenly spoke up and asked Wang Qiuyue, “Why didn’t you follow to protect him?”

Wang Qiuyue paused and turned to look at her.

The long-haired older sister was usually quiet and steady. Over the past few days, she had barely spoken and had little presence in the team.

This was her first time speaking so forcefully.

“There’s a fierce ghost in the forest. Even ghost catchers ran away. You didn’t follow, and you let a child protect him. What if something happens to him?” She bit her lip, unable to control her emotions due to worry for Ji Xiu’s safety.

Wang Qiuyue listened to her words, watched her expression, and her face darkened slightly.

“In what capacity are you saying this to me?”

The short-haired younger sister was also shocked. She tugged at her sleeve. “Sis, are you crazy?” How could she dare question a fierce ghost like this?

The long-haired older sister lowered her eyes. Fear, bitterness, all mixed together. She did not speak again.

But Wang Qiuyue had already seen through her thoughts. She let out a cold laugh. “If you can stand on high ground and accuse me, why didn’t you follow him yourself?”

The long-haired older sister’s face flushed red as she abruptly raised her head.

Ji Xiu was powerful, gentle, and considerate. She had only developed some goodwill toward him during these days. She had not done anything inappropriate. Why should she endure mockery from a fierce ghost?

In the end, players feared fierce ghosts, yet also despised and looked down on them. In their eyes, all ghosts, regardless of rank, were aberrations that should not exist.

If Ji Xiu had a close player wife by his side, she would not have dared accuse anyone.

But Wang Qiuyue was a ghost.

The long-haired older sister felt that as a fierce ghost, Wang Qiuyue could not give Ji Xiu a normal life and could only exist as a protective umbrella. Now she had abandoned her post and failed in her duty. That was wrong. In a moment of impulse and worry, she could not help but voice her accusation.

Now Wang Qiuyue even dared to retort, which only fueled her anger.

However, she did not have the courage to openly clash with a fierce ghost, so she merely bit her lip and spoke with quiet sarcasm.

“If I were a fierce ghost, I would definitely follow. After all, aside from protecting him, there’s nothing else I’d be useful for.”

Wang Qiuyue understood her sarcasm. Her expression changed drastically, instantly turning gloomy.

This woman who did not know the meaning of life or death.

Wang Qiuyue had been too good-tempered these days, so much so that people forgot how dangerous she could be when provoked.

Her bracelet flashed, emitting a shrill alarm.

Please retreat immediately! Please retreat immediately! This fierce ghost is in an out-of-control berserk state!

Please retreat immediately! Please retreat immediately! This fierce ghost is in an out-of-control berserk state!

The long-haired older sister’s face changed drastically. The other three also looked pale and regretful for standing by earlier.

Yet upon hearing the alarm, Wang Qiuyue suddenly calmed down.

In the next moment, the alarm disappeared.

Including Huang Wenli and Lu Zhizhen, all four were stunned. They quickly let out sighs of relief and retreated further away, afraid of stimulating Wang Qiuyue again.

Wang Qiuyue coldly glanced at her, then withdrew her gaze. However, Ji Xiu’s proposal came to mind.

Ji Xiu had said that if he obtained enough points to leave the world, he hoped to bring them to stay in this world.

This world allowed humans and ghosts to coexist. No one would discriminate against or fear her. Their family could live a normal life here.

Wang Qiuyue had originally felt it was neither here nor there, but now it seemed to be the best choice.

Because there were many people who harbored fear and disgust toward fierce ghosts deep in their bones. Only this place could offer true equality.

After quite some time, Ji Xiu and Ji Chunsheng finally returned from the forest.

Ji Xiu went straight to Wang Qiuyue and explained, “That fierce ghost devoured quite a few ghosts. Its strength wasn’t bad. I let Chunsheng train a bit, so it took some time.”

“It’s fine. As long as you’re back,” Wang Qiuyue said. Seeing Ji Xiu immediately lifted her mood.

Ji Xiu sensed something was off. “What happened?”

Wang Qiuyue said nothing. That was her personality. When she was wronged at home, telling her parents was useless. After marriage, she was wronged and wanted to speak, but Ji Xiu was not by her side. Over time, she developed the habit of not complaining.

Ji Xiu narrowed his eyes slightly and turned to speak to the girls.

A single glance at their uncomfortable expressions confirmed his suspicions. His expression darkened. “What exactly happened?”

Under his gaze, Huang Wenli stepped forward and stiffly recounted what had happened.

Ji Xiu’s gaze fell on the older sister of the twins, meeting her flustered, harmless eyes that held a hint of expectation and shyness.

“…” Ji Xiu fell silent, questioning for the first time whether he had been too kind.

Otherwise, why did just anyone dare to criticize his wife?

His expression turned cold. “You should leave on your own. From here on, we go separate ways. I will not keep someone who cannot see their own place.”

The long-haired older sister’s face instantly turned paper-white.

Nothing hurt more than words of rejection from the one you secretly loved.

“I, I won’t leave…”

“What do you mean you won’t leave? Leave now!” The short-haired younger sister grabbed her hand and angrily dragged her away.

In public, this was utterly humiliating. Even if you liked such a gentle and powerful man, could you not see that he already had a wife and child?

She had always been proud that neither of them relied on men. Now this happened. Her sister had directly set her sights on another woman’s husband.

The younger sister forcefully dragged her sister in another direction.

Dianqing Mountain was vast, but they had seen the app on Ji Xiu’s phone and roughly knew the directions. They did not need to cling to Ji Xiu for guidance.

Given her sister’s state, separating was probably the best choice.

Ji Xiu coldly watched them leave, with no intention of stopping them.

Once they were out of sight, he withdrew his gaze and looked at Wang Qiuyue. “You suffered.”

Wang Qiuyue felt happy inside and shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

Ji Xiu had stood up for her. She had not really suffered.

…

After two people left, only three remained in the team.

Ji Xiu’s mood was poor. He held Wang Qiuyue’s and Ji Chunsheng’s hands as they continued on.

Huang Wenli and Lu Zhizhen kept their heads down behind them, silent as cicadas in winter.

On the way, they passed a large tree. Dozens of ghost catchers sat beneath it, panting heavily and peering inside.

When they noticed Ji Xiu’s group approaching, they looked shocked.

“You didn’t die?”

Ji Xiu glanced up and saw it was the same group that had fled from the fierce ghost earlier. He replied casually, “We didn’t come here to commit suicide.”

“But… aren’t you all ordinary people? If you’re not here to commit suicide, why come here?”

Ji Xiu explained the reason.

The elderly ghost catcher’s expression darkened. “What kind of trash company is this, forcing interns like you to do such things! What if you encounter danger?”

“With the app, nothing will happen.”

“That works against malevolent ghosts, but what if you encounter a fierce ghost? Then what…” The elderly ghost catcher stopped mid-scolding, froze, and looked at Ji Xiu. “You came out safely? Could it be that this app can even capture fierce ghosts?”

“Not exactly.” Ji Xiu pointed at Ji Chunsheng. “My son caught it.”

The ghost catchers followed his gaze and froze one by one. This was the first time they had encountered such a situation.

Someone with fierce ghosts at home, bringing them to Dianqing Mountain to capture other fierce ghosts.

This was something no one had ever tried before. Thinking about it carefully, fierce ghosts were actually more suitable to be ghost catchers than ordinary people. The problem was that fierce ghosts were emotionally unstable, lacked bonds, and had poor stability. No one dared attempt this.

Now, however, this young fierce ghost had such strong mental resilience and stable emotions. It might actually be worth trying.

The elderly ghost catcher showed a grin like a wolf grandmother luring Little Red Riding Hood and invited Ji Chunsheng. “Kid, interested in becoming a ghost catcher?”

Ji Chunsheng frowned, looking somewhat disgusted, and ignored him.

The elderly ghost catcher looked disappointed.

Someone tugged at his sleeve. “Boss, there’s another fierce ghost over there.”

The elderly ghost catcher froze and looked over, spotting Wang Qiuyue. He was stunned.

Ji Xiu explained, “That’s my wife.”

“….” The elderly ghost catcher was completely dumbfounded, showing a mix of envy and amazement. He then looked eagerly at Ji Xiu. “Sir, would you be interested in becoming a ghost catcher?”

Ji Xiu paused and showed interest. “What about the benefits?”

That meant he was interested. The elderly ghost catcher beamed and pulled Ji Xiu into a long conversation.

Huang Wenli and Lu Zhizhen could not get a word in and whispered to each other. “Why is the boss asking about this? Isn’t the mission about to be completed?”

Wang Qiuyue did not join their discussion. She looked at Ji Xiu with gentle eyes.

Because he was making plans in advance for their retirement.

After negotiating benefits, Ji Xiu also learned that the elderly man was the president of the National Ghost Catchers Association. All regulations regarding ghost catchers were established under his leadership.

With ghost catchers holding high status and universal respect, his position transcended the secular world.

In other words, this ordinary-looking old man was the biggest backing in this world.

Ji Xiu’s interest was piqued. He began to converse seriously.

In the end, he recorded the man’s contact information and said he needed to return to his original company to resign, and would seek him out after some time.

The elderly ghost catcher nodded and grasped Ji Xiu’s hand. “You must come. To subdue out-of-control fierce ghosts, our association has lost so many people…”

Ji Xiu laughed and promised repeatedly. “Don’t worry. I’ll definitely come.”

After that, they traveled the same road as the ghost catchers. Halfway through, the ghost catchers needed to stay in the forest to continue capturing ghosts for training, while Ji Xiu’s group had completed their mission and did not want to linger. The two groups parted ways.

Ji Xiu took Huang Wenli and Lu Zhizhen to book flights and returned to their original city. He brought them to the company to submit the mission, sent them off, and stayed behind in this world alone, without any intention of waiting for the twin sisters.

Whether they could submit the mission or survive this world was their own business.

He stayed behind solely to verify whether his previous speculation was correct.

At this time, there were still three days left before the ten-day mission deadline.

Ji Xiu took Wang Qiuyue and Ji Chunsheng to city hall, sold the subdued fierce ghost to the government for thirty million, used the money to buy a house and choose a new home. Over the next three days, they did not step outside even once. They stayed at home, accompanying Wang Qiuyue and Ji Chunsheng, watching television. Daily necessities and shopping were all done from home.

Perhaps his behavior was too abnormal. On the final day, Ji Xiu could clearly sense that strange power he had felt outside Ji Family Village years ago had grown stronger.

The game consciousness was by his side.

The moment this thought surfaced, Ji Xiu felt a subtle shift and fully understood what the game cared about.

Thus, despite sensing the game consciousness’s dissatisfaction, he did not change. Instead, he doubled down, staying at home and refusing to interact with any ghosts.

The game consciousness’s faint urging and displeasure grew slightly stronger.

Go out. Learn about this world. No slacking off.

Ji Xiu lowered his head and curled his lips.

The game had exposed another weakness.

So it relied on players understanding the world to achieve invasion.

The game sent players to complete missions not merely for that bit of yin energy, but to accelerate its invasion by using players’ understanding of the world.

As players gained deeper understanding of the world, learned more about ghosts and yin energy, and began frequent contact with ghosts, the game’s control over the world would strengthen.

Just like this world. When Ji Xiu gave up the side quest, the game consciousness had not urged him this frequently.

Ji Xiu’s guesses about the game were not entirely correct, but they were close.

He had accurately grasped the game’s weak point. In fact, that was precisely why the game had appeared.

Ji Xiu’s progression was too fast. From the moment he entered the game, it was a B-rank world. The second world became A-rank. He was undoubtedly a seed player, the most likely to have close contact with ghosts.

The game placed great hopes on Ji Xiu. Seeing him choose to stay behind alone, it did not block him. It even influenced the company’s attitude to a certain extent, truly allowing him to remain.

Because it relied on players to pioneer and excavate information about the world to achieve invasion.

But Ji Xiu stayed and refused to go out, refused to learn anything about the world.

The game could not sit still.

Was this not a waste of the energy the game had spent to keep him here longer?

The game consciousness could not help but manifest, subtly influencing Ji Xiu’s thoughts. But Ji Xiu’s soul was far stronger than it expected. He did not follow its hints and instead caught onto its tell.

Ji Xiu sensed the noisy consciousness around him and smiled faintly.

The first step, protecting this world and preventing the game’s invasion, he thought he had found a way.

As for the second step, destroying the game, that would be another long and arduous task.

Fortunately, he had many good qualities, patience above all. He had plenty of time to struggle against the game. He would see who won in the end.