Infinite spooky game

"It seems like it won't be dawn for a while." Lin Jue leaned against the ice wall, looking up at the dark and distant sky.

In the long, dark night, there were no stars or moon. The vast sky and the continuous snow-capped mountains merged into one, completely sealing off the view, so that not even a glimmer of light could penetrate. It was as if this was the darkest time in millions of years, and this scene was only natural. Even the soul was submerged in this darkness, and one could not even tell who was human or who was ghost among those around them.

Fu Jue stood in front of Lin Jue and asked in a hoarse voice, "What does Senior want to say to me?"

"I think you've already guessed it, I will die today." Lin Jue's voice was calm, as calm as a frozen lake in the center of a glacier.

He paused for a moment, then spoke clearly: "The final instance was an insurmountable dead end for us. Fortunately, I possessed the card [Dark Judge], which allowed me to seize a glimmer of hope in this dead end. If I did nothing, everyone would be trapped here, which would be a very uneconomical choice; but exchanging my death for everyone's survival is in line with the principle of pragmatism."

Fu Jue's expression changed slightly. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but Lin Jue raised his hand to interrupt him.

The young man in the white suit chuckled softly and continued, "The reason I'm seeking you out one last time before I die is because I somehow foresaw a part of the future. Someone told me that after my death, you would activate the effect of the [Fallen Savior] card, resurrecting me within your body, is that right?"
Before Fu Jue could answer, he continued, "Actually, there's no need to wait for him to tell me. I understand your behavior patterns, and this outcome was expected. Knowing the outcome, my choice to die was perhaps a selfish act of arbitrarily including your death in my plan. I'm passing this information on to you now out of honest consideration, so you might reconsider the choice you're about to make."

“Senior, you are not selfish.” Fu Jue looked up at Lin Jue and said, word by word, “The Ark’s mission has never been to be afraid of death or to protect oneself. Necessary sacrifices are worthwhile.”

“To be generous with other people’s money, to stand on the moral high ground and make a choice that is sure to be right, and then let others bear the consequences, isn’t that selfish?” Lin Jue laughed. “Good and evil are both paths that living beings take in this world. I have only chosen the path of good. How can I have the right to coerce others because of that? I will not do that, and I hope that those I trust will not do that either.”

"senior……"

"Fu Jue, time is running out. In the very last moment, I have one more request." Lin Jue raised his wrist and glanced at his pocket watch, his tone finally showing some emotion. "After I die, the Ark will likely fall apart. Whichever path you choose, do not let the Ark go to its grave."

……

Not far away, Zhang Hongbin sat dejectedly on the ice, gazing in the direction of Lin Jue and Fu Jue.

Those who emerged from the Ark held a special affection for Lin Jue. He was the leader who stepped forward to take charge and restore order when they first entered the instance and were wandering around aimlessly like headless flies; he was the player most suited to the eerie game who led them out of perilous instances time and time again, helping them escape the disturbances of ghosts and monsters; and for a long time, he was the hope to end the eerie game and save everyone.

Even though no one has explicitly stated it, the situation is already on the table. The exploration of the final instance is on the verge of failure. The path corresponding to Lin Jue cannot lead to a happy ending. He will have to exchange his life for the lives of others. Whether it is self-destruction after the annihilation of ideals or a sacrifice to preserve the flame, he is doomed to die.

Zhang Hongbin felt terrible, but he couldn't think of a way to break the deadlock. He only hated his own weakness. He thought that with his high ranking, he could stand on his own, but in the end, he still had to rely on Lin Jue's sacrifice.

So, what about stopping Lin Jue and seeking other ways to pass the level? Zhang Hongbin swallowed his words before he could finish them. He had to admit that he desperately wanted to live, and he had a reason to leave the final instance alive, even if the price was Lin Jue's death.

The moment Lin Jue proposed that plan, a secret sense of relief even welled up in his heart. It was good that Lin Jue would save them all once again; he wouldn't have to die.

It was shameful, but not unforgivable. Zhang Hongbin thought, he still had a wife who loved him waiting for him at home, and his daughter was still young and couldn't be without her father…

"Um... can I ask you something?" A young female voice sounded behind him. Zhang Hongbin looked in the direction of the voice and saw a college student standing to his right and behind him, hesitant to speak.

He remembered this girl; she also had the surname "Zhang" and was from his clan. She was clearly Zhou Ke's person, but he didn't know why she was sticking close to him. Perhaps she was monitoring him at Zhou Ke's request.

He made wild guesses, thinking it was unlikely, yet also feeling the girl looked too kind. All sorts of random thoughts were mixed together, and for a moment he couldn't tell which one was in control.

"What is it?" Zhang Hongbin asked.

The girl looked left and right, and asked cautiously, "Do you have a daughter named 'Zhang Yiyu'?"

Zhang Hongbin felt a chill run down his spine. How could she know? Had they investigated him? But how could that be? They were already in the final instance; what kind of extraordinary means would it take to uncover his real-world identity?

The girl seemed to sense what he was thinking. She took a deep breath and said timidly, "Um... my name is Zhang Yiyu, from 2035. I was wondering if there's a possibility..."

Zhang Yiyu didn't continue, but Zhang Hongbin understood what she meant. All the players came from different timelines, so theoretically, it was indeed possible for him to encounter his daughter in the final instance.

But emotionally, he still refused to believe it. Wasn't he already caught up in this bizarre game? Why was even his daughter being targeted?

Moreover, if his daughter is also a player, she should be able to hear and see information related to the eerie game. As her father, he would certainly pass on all his experience to her. How could he let her be so passive?

Zhang Hongbin noticed something suspicious and quickly thought of the worst-case scenario: "In your timeline, am I already dead?"

Zhang Yiyu nodded slightly, her voice lowering as if she were thinking of something painful: "Yes, when I was two years old, you said goodbye to me and Mom, and then you went out and got into a car accident. We were all very sad, and we miss you so much..."

Listening to the girl's tearful words, Zhang Hongbin received too much information in a short period of time, so much so that he couldn't react. But a clear thought arose in the bottom of his mind: if he still died in the end, wouldn't that mean that Lin Jue's sacrifice was probably completely useless?

He got up and rushed towards Lin Jue, but it was too late. The young man held a dagger in both hands and plunged it into his heart. The bright red blood bloomed on the white fabric, staining it with a sunset-like red.

A black-clad, golden-eyed judge's phantom stood between heaven and earth, surrounded by swirling black mist; the book filled with legal decrees flipped through its pages rapidly, finally settling on a particular chapter.

Lin Jue's figure suddenly shattered, its edges breaking into pieces of white feathers. The Judge lowered his eyes, descended the steps, and his phantom spread between heaven and earth.

The trial is over... the convicted criminal Lin was sentenced to death.

The black cross above Lin Jue's head shattered into pieces, and the shiny, reflective identity plate emerged from his chest, slowly flying into the sky, accompanied by the silver-white text: "Identity Plate 'Dark Judge' has been retrieved."

At the same time, all players heard the system announcement:

The main quest "Kill Lin Jue" has been completed.

Congratulations to the player for clearing the final dungeon!

What... what exactly happened? I cleared the game so easily?
The final instance ended, the eerie game closed, and Lin Jue once again saved everyone with his sacrifice, seemingly a perfect ending.

Zhang Hongbin, however, always felt an indescribable discomfort in his heart, as if he were wrapped in layers of waterlogged cotton.

He subconsciously looked at Zhang Yiyu beside him, while Zhang Yiyu turned her head to look in Zhou Ke's direction, shifting her gaze as if searching for something.

Two seconds later, the girl's eyes widened: "Qi... Zhou Keren? When did he disappear? Oh no, that humanoid ape ran away on its own, there's definitely a trap here!"

……

Upon entering the mirror, all pain and discomfort vanished, and even the body felt as light as if it were immersed in warm water, floating in the vast void.

As Qi Si walked forward, all sorts of phantoms flashed and disappeared on both sides of him, some dressed in ancient costumes, some with exotic appearances, men, women, young and old... Thousands upon thousands of faces appeared and disappeared, turning into specks of light and merging into the void as he approached.

Everything was peaceful and silent, as if calmly embracing death, bidding farewell to a fate, whether tragic or beautiful, and becoming part of a larger space-time continuum. Where did heaven and earth come from? Where will they go? When one broadens one's perspective to the level of the entire universe, the joys and sorrows, life and death of a single group seem insignificant.

Qis walked a short distance and then rested. The dark space was not entirely without light; on the contrary, it was dotted with dazzling stars, which blossomed into kings, crosses, and bird feathers as he walked.

Ancient and magnificent temples rise from the ground amidst various symbolic phantoms. Further on, there is a huge amphitheater, an old-fashioned town, a misty hospital, an ancient school, a scarlet theater...

A figure in a white suit walked towards us, with a large patch of bloodstains on his chest. His young face was gentle and calm, and his eyes were clear.

Upon seeing Qi Si, the young man paused slightly, then muttered to himself as if in a daze: "I've often had this realization lately: from birth to death, all people are imprisoned by fate. Individual choices are nothing more than ants trying to shake a tree in the grand scheme of time and space. We can never change anything, just as someone is destined to die. The only difference is who gets placed in that position."

Qi Si stopped and stared at the young man. He had attended the Guild Representative Conference at Sunset Ruins before, and the organizers had shown some images on the screen before the opening ceremony, including the image of the young man in front of him.

He smiled: "Lin Jue, I've heard so much about you. To be honest, I've never understood why someone like you always gets caught up in such simple questions. Most people would choose to survive out of biological instinct, letting others die in their place, wouldn't they? If 'I' cease to exist, then what reason would the world have to exist?"
"However, if you have anything to tell me, you can perhaps be more direct. After all, in another timeline, I and 'you' had some kind of cooperative relationship."

“I also cannot understand extreme individualism and pure malice.” Lin Jue shook his head slightly. “I am already dead. Any further voices I leave behind are nothing but the ramblings of those out of step with the times. I’m just wondering, you know I will die, and I know my death is futile. So, is our fate already sealed? No matter how many bumps we encounter along the way, are we destined to head towards the same destination?”

The words seemed to be hinting at something. Qi Si narrowed his eyes slightly and realized that he had unknowingly walked into the manor where roses grew wildly. Cold vines wrapped around his ankles, and torrential rain fell from the sky, gradually freezing into ice and snow as it approached the ground.

He suddenly looked up, and the scene around him instantly collapsed into dusty fragments, which then reassembled at a speed visible to the naked eye into a starless, moonless night and an endless glacier.

Zhang Yiyu and Dong Xiwen, standing to the side, were so startled they almost jumped up. Dong Xiwen blurted out, "Holy crap! Zhou Ke, when did you show up?"

Qi Si remained silent. The long-unseen system interface solidified in the upper left corner of his vision, like the screen of an electronic device after a reboot. Lines of text appeared on it:

The trial is over... the convicted criminal Lin was sentenced to death.

The "Dark Judge" identity card has been retrieved.

The main quest "Kill Lin Jue" has been completed.

Congratulations to the player for clearing the final dungeon!

[Automatic teleportation out of the instance in three minutes]

It's over. Incredibly, but the story of the eerie game seems to have truly come to an end here. By exchanging places with Zhou Ke, he traveled back in time and cleared the final instance. According to what has always been said, the eerie game will now close.

But... is that really the case? Qi Si pondered Lin Jue's last words, unable to determine whether they were true or just alarmist talk.

He tilted his head and waited patiently, his vision gradually dimming, only to be illuminated by a glimmer of light at a certain moment.

"Egg pancake, freshly made egg pancake!"

"Farewell to 2013, hello to 2014! People spent the last sleepless night of 2013 with dazzling fireworks and melodious bells, welcoming the hopeful 2014..."

"Hey, Aunt Alan, have you heard? There's a building in Jinjiang neighborhood that seems to be haunted..."

The sounds of hawking, news broadcasts, and idle chatter mingled together, creating a vibrant atmosphere of everyday life. Crowds thronged around Qi Si, who stood in the center.

He felt as if he had returned to January 1, 2014. In front of him was the familiar breakfast shop, the oily-faced owner holding a spatula, and the owner's wife sitting next to him calling out her wares while breastfeeding her baby.

Qi Si strolled over leisurely, smiling as he said, "Two egg pancakes, no sausage."

"Alright!" The boss spread out the flatbread, grabbed a sausage, and threw it onto the flatbread with a "thud".

Are they all so unable to understand human language? Qi Si raised an eyebrow and repeated, "No sausage."

The shopkeeper wrapped the pancakes up, put them in a plastic bag, and handed it to Qi Si, his hand passing right through Qi Si's body as if it were nothing.

Qi Si turned around and saw a middle-aged man take the pancake, smile and thank him, but his reflection was not seen in the man's eyes.

He reached out to touch the man, his fingers just as lightly brushing past his form. He then realized: these people couldn't see him; he was like a ghost or phantom, untouchable, unperceived, and undetectable.

The morning market is always bustling with activity; elderly people carrying shopping baskets rush about, vendors of all sizes call out their wares along the street, and the clinking of spatulas is a pleasant, clear sound. The atmosphere is excessively lively, but the liveliness no longer belongs to Qi Si.

He tried to touch the food on the table, but couldn't reach anything; he tried to touch the wall, but his hand passed through the bricks; it was as if he didn't exist on the same level as anyone and everything in this world, and whenever they overlapped, all that awaited was a fleeting encounter.

Things were getting a bit complicated. Although Qi Si was quite good at entertaining himself, a one-man show was incredibly boring. He couldn't even play Candy Crush anymore, let alone casually kill an innocent passerby for fun. It was truly pathetic and lamentable.

"Am I still in the instance? Or is there a bug somewhere, or... some kind of mechanism?" A rare chill ran through Qi Si's heart, but it wasn't much.

Today is January 1, 2014, which is the day he was born 1 years ago. He is the embodiment of Qi in reality, a spirit that has entered the human world. At such a significant juncture, "He" will definitely appear.

—As long as he can see Qi, he will have a way to break the deadlock.

Qi Si sifted through his long, fragmented memories, piecing together the pieces he needed. His parents had mentioned which hospital he was born in, and now he strolled leisurely toward his destination.

He wasn't tired in his current state, and he easily traversed more than ten kilometers to reach the floor where the operating room was located.

A crimson glow flickered in the void, imperceptible to humans. A figure in red robes with long hair stood outside the door, a faint smile on her pale face.

Qi Si walked over casually, smiling as he looked at the figure: "Qi, we meet again. Perhaps we can talk about the final instance."

There was no response; Qi Ping stared straight ahead, seemingly completely unaware of his presence.

Qis reached out to touch Qi's body, his fingers slipping through the blood-red form without creating the slightest ripple.

His smile faded, and he felt a long-forgotten fear—the loneliness of a tiny creature placed in the vast universe, as if he were the last intelligent being on earth.

At this moment, in this situation, he had become a prisoner trapped in the past, a person who no longer existed. (End of Chapter)