Deceitful Game

Chapter 103 The Corrupted Wishing Machine

Because of Mingpo's "wish," they missed each other.

Afterwards, Mingpo opened the door to the security room by brute force and slammed down the table with the master key card.

So when Ai Shiping arrived, the security room simply "opened the door by itself".

Because if he tries to open the door... regardless of whether the key can open the door or not, he might sense that something is wrong.

The "room key" he then used to open the drawer with his finger key and took away... never existed at all!

This manipulation of memory clearly has flaws.

Ai Shiping had no subconscious thought that he had "gotten the room key".

So after entering the second floor, he thought of the clue of the "fifth door," but gave up after finding that the door couldn't be opened. Regardless of whether the clue was right or wrong, Ai Shiping never even tried to open the door with the key card.

It's because subconsciously he felt that he hadn't received the room key!

This is exactly the "fox's" intuition.

When the snake swarm surged in, he was forced to enter room 2018... which happened to be one of the two rooms that had been active when Mingpo entered the second floor. If Ai Shiping had gone a little further and knocked on the door of room 2031, he could have even met up with Mingpo directly!

Just as Ai Shiping saw the "fake Mingpo" and realized it was fake... a second fake Mingpo "reappeared" at the doorway. At that moment, the real Mingpo happened to come out and saw its presence. It then realized that Ai Shiping was there.

From that moment on, Mingpo's initial illusions were shattered.

"That room key doesn't exist at all; it was your illusion from the very beginning. It exists because you wanted it to," Mingpo asserted. "I've already 'seen' it."

When he received his room key, an item description popped up.

However, Ai Shiping's "room card" did not display anything in his possession.

Because it doesn't exist at all.

If Ai Shiping's "wish" had been any stronger, perhaps it could have actually been used as a room key to open a room. But that's impossible... because the "intuition" provided by Ai Shiping's title made him ignore the card.

"...You mean, wishes come true?"

Ai Shiping murmured softly, "Would he be that... kind?"

"Then let me ask you."

Mingpo countered, "Have you ever sensed hostility?"

Since the game rules do not prohibit the use of titles, the abilities of titles can be triggered normally.

Just like how Mingpo can see the description of an item and can overdraw his physical strength to see clues directly.

Ai Shiping's title can also be triggered.

He told Mingpu that when he smelled hostility, it was like smelling cold air; he could feel a distinct odor. If the hostility was too strong, he would even feel his nose itchy and sore.

But here, Mingpo kept a close eye on Ai Shiping almost the entire time.

But he never saw it... Ai Shiping couldn't help but rub his nose.

"You mean...?"

Ai Shiping realized the meaning behind Mingpo's words and couldn't help but widen his eyes.

If he didn't sense any hostility, then it means that the "people" here... perhaps didn't intend to harm him.

"It's a man-made disaster."

Mingpo affirmed, "Whether it's us or them."

The "they" he was referring to were the people who died here.

The two people who committed suicide were not quite sure what they had seen.

But the other two events are very clear.

The girl who choked on her food and couldn't vomit, and whose resuscitation efforts failed—it all came true because of her own fear of death, or perhaps because of the "worst-case scenario" that emanated from her mother's mind.

The family who were locked inside and burned alive must have been just like Ai Shiping earlier, worried that the door wouldn't open... so they really couldn't open the door.

Just like Ai Shiping's phone, Mingpo could clearly see that it never overheated, but Ai Shiping's skin was visibly red from the heat.

Because Ai Shiping genuinely believed he was in a fire, forgetting that mobile phones can also get hot.

The reason they initially felt this place was terrifying and dangerous...

One reason is that the game is called "Terror Live".

Another reason is actually because of the news reports of accidental deaths I'd seen before...

Someone deliberately placed these news items at the doorstep to instill fear in them.

So people who come in here will be so frightened by what they see that they actually die here.

"Following this logic, those who spread the news of paranormal events here... probably have the same purpose. They hope that people who come here are filled with fear and expect 'ghost stories.' The monkey I saw was probably born out of a similar desire." Mingpo calmly analyzed, "In that case, these people will really become ghosts."

"In a sense, there might be an imperfect wish-granting machine here. Although this wish-granting machine can only make people see illusions and cannot truly fulfill their wishes... if one looks at the illusion until death, then for that person, it might not be any different from reality." Upon hearing this, Ai Shiping suddenly thought of something.

He held up his phone, hesitating slightly: "Then we..."

Just then, Mingpo kicked Ai Shiping, sending him flying and his phone flying out of his hand.

"You're special."

"Don't overthink it!"

Mingpo interrupted Ai Shiping sharply, shouting, "Don't talk nonsense! Don't listen to nonsense! Don't look at nonsense!"

"I know, I know... Can't you be a little gentler? I can understand you..."

Upon hearing this, Ai Shiping, who stood up with a grimacing expression, finally understood what Mingpo was worried about.

No wonder... This instance emphasizes that "this game requires role-playing," and any behavior that exceeds the reasonableness of the role may lead to life-threatening situations.

If he truly believes that these audience members might be ghosts or some kind of higher-dimensional being, then they might actually become dangerous.

Just like when Ai Shiping first thought those bullet comments were living people, they really were living people; and when he thought the audience were ghosts, the bullet comments really became ghosts... But when he saw them as people again, they became people again.

On the contrary, if they simply see themselves as ghost-hunting streamers, they can complete the mission and survive more easily.

But now that he knew the mechanism, Ai Shiping naturally wouldn't think about it that way.

Ai Shiping remained silent for a while before tentatively asking, "Should we... continue searching?"

"Why not go?"

Mingpo laughed, "There's only one room left for wrist-cutting... then we can advance or retreat as needed."

Whoever is plotting against them...

If they don't show up after completing their task, then they shouldn't come out.

"But the problem is... where is that room?"

Ai Shiping picked up his phone from the ground, looked up at Mingpo, and asked.

Mingpo turned around and looked at him meaningfully: "Does it matter?"

Since the news didn't mention it, that means... she could have died in any of the rooms.

In other words...

Any room could be the room where she died.

I guess.

Mingpo's voice was firm and unwavering, so much so that it even sounded somewhat humorous: "She died in the room across the street."

‰……Oh~”

Ai Shiping realized what was happening.

A mocking smile appeared on his lips: "I guessed so."