Chapter 205: Transforming Community Experience (XIV)
No one spoke for a moment.
They looked up at the dormitory. It was too far away, and even with the lights on, they couldn't make out the outlines inside. But they still didn't look away, as if they could find some familiar light and shadow in it, transcending the distance of time and space, and taking them back to the time before everything began.
Back to the normal life when they were just ordinary people, plain and safe.
The distraction lasted only a moment, and they quickly came back to their senses, even smiling.
What were they thinking just now? Were they wondering if they could see another "606"?
Even if we take a step back, even if we really see a "Tang Xin Jue" by the window, or a "Zhang You" hanging clothes on the balcony, what can we do?
This is where they really are, and everything before their eyes is just an illusion, no matter how real it looks.
Guo Guo looked away. She didn't dare stare at these buildings for too long, as it would give her a strange feeling - as if the world in front of her was really the real world, and they were standing in the familiar garden. Not far away were the busy dormitory paths, convenience stores, lakes... As long as they stepped out of here, they could return to their dormitory building and return to the world that truly belonged to them.
However, this is impossible. If the outside world is really the real world, then it would never be the current scene of dim lights.
From the moment the game launched, the lights of the entire world seemed to disappear simultaneously. From what we saw and heard later, we could infer that no university was spared, including their dormitories.
As this realization became clearer, the scenery before my eyes suddenly changed.
The outlines of the dormitory buildings in the distance gradually blurred, and the lights in the buildings went out one by one, until they disappeared completely. The thick darkness of the boundless night rolled back from all directions, as if it was about to swallow up this small garden!
However, there was no danger. The four of them held the power still and watched it rush towards them.
The next second after the environment completely collapsed, the sky suddenly brightened.
Everything before them looked brand new, bright sunshine poured down, and a larger garden appeared before them.
A winding path among the lush trees stretched to their feet, guiding the way ahead.
The blonde guide smiled gently. "A momentary rest truly cannot satisfy you. Deep within the casino lies your more pressing desires. That is the secret related to the most important rules. Please follow me."
After passing through the winding path, I saw that the garden was divided into two parts. On the left was an artificial lake, and on the right was a tall and exquisite pavilion . The pavilion was crowded with people, and the sound of laughter and conversation was endless.
The four of them instantly focused their attention - this was the first time they had met other guests since entering the casino!
Although they had encountered a ridiculously deserted and silent environment along the way, and had not even encountered a single resident in this "amusement park" of the famous university town, they were still convinced that this was not a single-player game.
This is indeed the case.
Taking in the figures in the pavilion, Tang Xinjue shook his head.
“There are no tourists inside.”
Psychic powers were of little use in this area, so she simply spoke and talked to her roommate openly.
As for the "tourists", they are of course the candidates like them, and one of their goals in coming here: to find Zhou Ao's group of scattered former candidates, as well as an undetermined number of other candidates who entered the reward copy at about the same time as them.
This sparsely populated community was able to accommodate so many teams of candidates at the same time and prevent them from seeing each other. I wonder how much of a role the entertainment venue played in this.
As his mind raced, the pavilion was already within reach. Just as Tang Xinjue knew at a glance that the pavilion was filled with local residents, the others had no doubt about it either. The appearances of these "people" in the pavilion were all incredibly typical.
Not only were there the familiar noodle figures, but there were also balloon figures the size of yoga balls, and tower figures shaped like inverted pagodas... Guo Guo had just entered the pavilion when she suddenly screamed and bounced back. They then saw a layer of fine, dense bumps appear on the pavilion pillars, and then a piece of human skin fell off smoothly, emitting a shrill complaint:
"You guys don't look at people when you walk, you bumped into me!"
Guo Guo: “…”
If she knew that there was a human skin, or a leather man, stuck on this pillar, she would never touch it even if she died!
Tang Xinjue ignored the verbal attacks from the natives, as they had less and less time left.
The human skin rolled its eyes, not knowing what it saw in Tang Xinjue. It held back its voice in fear, and waited until she passed before complaining to Zhang You again.
Zhang You silently flipped open the magic ledger, his skill cards flashing with impatience. Human Skin shut up again.
Zheng Wanqing was the third to enter the pavilion, completely ignoring the human skin. The steel arm carelessly brushed against the pillar as it entered, frightening the human skin so much that it slid against the fence, sparing the curses lingering in its throat for Guo Guo, who was the last one standing.
Guo Guo tightly grasped the blood-red pendant and subconsciously chanted a purification spell in his mind.
"ah!!"
The human skin immediately screamed, its smooth, well-maintained skin twirling and tangling as it angrily accused the blonde guide, "Waiter! Isn't it forbidden for residents in the casino to engage in violent attacks on each other?"
The mediator politely replied, "These guests are not residents, but tourists. From a tourist's perspective, your presence itself is a form of mental attack."
Therefore, Guo Guo’s actions should actually be considered as normal self-defense.
Human skin: “…”
A circle was quickly cleared in the pavilion with the four people in 606 as the center. Compared with the poverty and arrogance of Block 2, the "rich people" here were very sensible and no one was willing to waste time to provoke them.
But the four of them developed a strong curiosity about them.
Because all the guests were wearing black watches, but the numbers on them were not just 15 minutes, some even had countdowns exceeding an hour!
As if he could hear their thoughts, the guide spoke again:
"All guests have 15-minute tickets, which can only be purchased once a day, and are non-refundable. But how could a good casino be so stingy with its guests? So Mr. Bu also provided many ways to extend the experience."
"These clever designs and gifts are scattered throughout the casino, appearing according to guests' different desires. For example, when guests feel time is running out, this wishing fountain is a welcome addition."
Standing in the pavilion, following the line of sight of the blond tour guide and other indigenous people, I saw that above the shimmering artificial lake, the light slowly reflected the shadow of a stone statue!
The stone statue's outline was blurry, and it was hard to tell what it was. But the stone trough surrounding it was very clear, especially the colorful gift boxes inside the trough, which were almost blinding in the sunlight.
In this situation, what is there for 606 to not understand?
"We should make a wish to it in exchange for more experience time?"
Only in this way can they have more time to explore and avoid the tragedy of being kicked out as soon as they come in.
The guide smiled and nodded. "The cost of making a wish is simple. It only takes one minute each time, and there's no limit to how many times you can make a wish. As for what kind of gift you'll receive, it's a highly anticipated random outcome."
Before he finished speaking, the layer of light lingering on the stone statue suddenly moved slightly, and then a gift box flew out from the stone trough and fell directly into the palm of a noodle man.
The countdown on Noodle Man's wrist was only three minutes left. He quickly opened the gift box, and his unrecognizable features immediately turned into a layer of joy.
The next second, the countdown on the watch became 23 minutes.
"Getting the second prize on your first wish? You're pretty lucky."
Suddenly, a sour sound spread throughout the pavilion. The noodle man said nothing, turned around, and hurried away.
Tang Xinjue and his roommate looked at each other, and a familiar feeling came over them.
Isn’t this just a card pool?
It’s still the kind of pay-to-win card pool with unknown drop rates, no guaranteed drop rate, and it all depends on luck!
"So, make a wish?"
The tour guide said with a smile.
There are 9 minutes left in the countdown.
Tang Xinjue nodded slightly: "Let me try first."
"etc!"
Two yoga balls rolled over at some point, and when they were in front of them, they could see clearly that the two balls actually formed a "human" body, with a thin line connecting the upper and lower parts. Only when they were stacked up could they vaguely see the facial features.
At this moment, the player showed a bright smile:
"Making a wish is like gambling. If you're unlucky, you could lose everything. You still have a few minutes left, so why rush into it? Why don't you do me a favor and let me give you my time?"
The blonde guide didn't stop him. "Guests can give time to each other voluntarily and without coercion, but each person can only accept one gift."
I don’t know if it was their illusion, but the pronunciation of the three words “non-coercion” was emphasized a lot.
Tang Xinjue glanced at the other person's watch and asked, "What can I do for you?"
The balloon man said in a warm and friendly tone: "It's very simple, just wish me a happy birthday!"
...?
As the four people watched, he took out a small gift box with a line of numbers displayed on it:
95%.
"There's a special gift box in the wishing pool that can last for over a hundred minutes. However, it can only be opened after enough [blessings] are collected within the specified time. These blessings can only come from other guests. Each guest can only wish once for each gift box."
As soon as the guide finished speaking, the balloon man couldn't wait to throw out the price:
"As long as the four of you give four blessings, I will give each of you ten minutes, right now!"
Ten minutes is not a small amount of time.
The only requirement is to say a word, and it will not cause any negative effects. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is getting something for nothing.
Tang Xinjue thought thoughtfully: "It does sound like a good deal."
Just when the balloon man thought the cooperation was finalized and showed a confident smile, Tang Xinjue changed the subject:
"But if we draw this gift box next time, I'm afraid we'll be at a loss."
The balloon man's expression changed: "What do you mean?"
The light from the lake streamed into the pavilion, casting a fluctuating pattern of light and shadow around the girl. Though small and ordinary, she possessed a calmness that was almost frightening.
"If blessings are really that valuable, and you haven't lost money, then with so many guests here, it would be easy to get enough to complete a gift box. Why do you have to trade with us at such a high price?"
She was observing her surroundings quietly the whole time, and naturally she would not miss the surprised expression on the balloon man's face when he just came in, as if he had seen meat before starving to death.
"So we must have an advantage that you can't refuse."
What is the biggest difference between them and other guests here?
As the balloon man's expression gradually turned ugly, Tang Xinjue also revealed a kind smile:
"——For a newlywed who has never blessed anyone before, the effect of their first blessing is much stronger than that of others, right?"
This time, the guide didn't need the balloon man's answer; he already gave his affirmative answer. For the first time, a look of surprise crossed his face, which had always maintained a work-related smile.
"The guest is really clever. He was able to find this secret out of thin air."
Tang Xin Jue shook his head and said, "No, it's just some experience."
If any candidate stood here, he or she would be able to give the correct answer - because this familiar operating procedure has another more widely known name in the real world.
The balloon man's warm greeting and request can be translated into:
"Are you there? Help me cut some corners, and the number of new users will double!"
