In Virtual Reality

As Xu Jin Yi gazed upon the girl standing before her with a pale face, her heart softened at the sight. She blinked, a smile slowly spreading across her face. "Just kidding~! I'm merely a newly-appointed librarian," she admitted, her hand resting on her head, creating an honest and sincere image. "What I said earlier was just something I made up. But, since you're here, you still need to be a little more careful," she cautioned, her smile vanishing as she spoke calmly. "After all, any wrongdoing in the library will be met with punishment."

Although she did not specify the punishment, Zhang Xiao Hua's expression revealed that she understood the severity of the consequences.

Xu Jin Yi and Zhang Xiao Hua needed a moment to process what had been said.

The The Library of Eternal Life was vast, almost too extensive for its own good, containing only bookshelves and a reception desk. No desks or chairs were in sight, except for the one at the reception desk.

Desperate for a place to sit, Xu Jin Yi searched for an area free of bustling customers and settled onto the floor, propped up against a bookshelf.

Once the VR glasses were removed, Xu Jin Yi rubbed her temples, exhausted from the overwhelming amount of information. She collapsed onto a nearby sofa to rest before heading to the study. Retrieving a small stack of pristine white loose papers from the cabinet, she placed them on the desk before slumping into her chair, sighing deeply. Time to organize this mess of tangled threads.

Determined to push through, Xu Jin Yi straightened her back and forced herself to focus, flipping the black signing pen between her fingers as her thoughts gradually shifted towards her memories.

A series of events in «The The Library of Eternal Life» left Xu Jin Yi shocked and bewildered. If she gathered all the scattered pieces, she could draw a very broken conclusion - some games on the website were related to reality.

The most prominent example of this connection was the appearance of «Summit's Second Gate High School» and «Sunflower High School» in «The Red Staircase».

Xu Jin Yi's pen hovered over the blank sheet of paper as she contemplated the words she was about to write. «Eternal Bus,» "NPC 【Tian Si De】 and 【Fang Wen Wen】, and "Spirit Shenanigans" - they all seemed familiar yet elusive, like the remnants of a half-remembered dream.

[Hey, somebody copy pasted my translations on another site! Please show some love by liking my work on https://puukkiss.wixsite.com/inkydragon. Without it, I may think that nobody is reading my work and consider abandoning it, which means you won't be able to find it anywhere else.]

She lightly chewed on the phrase "Spirit Shenanigans," feeling a strange sense of deja vu. It was as if she had heard it before, but where and when eluded her memory.

Suddenly, the thought struck her like a lightning bolt. It was like a dream, a never-ending escape dream, where she was trapped and powerless, but the memories faded like mist in the sunlight when she awoke.

"Snap!" she slapped herself on the forehead in frustration. Rubbing her throbbing temples, she whispered, "Don't overthink it. There's always a way."

Taking a deep breath, she retrieved her phone from her pocket. She dialled a number from memory that Zhang Xiao Hua had given her in the game. The owner of the number was Wang Jin Long, a self-righteous NPC who thought he had caught on to Silence's true identity in the game. Although it was unclear whether it was an Easter egg created by the player production team out of resentment towards «Murphy's Amusement Park,» Xu Jin Yi recognized the number's area code immediately.

Jiang City.

The realization hit her like a sledgehammer, causing her pupils to contract and her fingers to tremble uncontrollably. Despite her overwhelming curiosity, she hesitated to press the call button. Could it be a coincidence? Was it just a fake number? She tried to convince herself that it was nothing to worry about, but the nagging feeling persisted.

As she tossed the phone on the desk, it landed on the surface of the thick and soft paper with a muffled thud. Her mind raced with thoughts and possibilities, but she knew better than to take risks. Who knew what kind of consequences a single phone call could bring?

The urge to explore tugged at her, but she resisted.

Xu Jin Yi was in a predicament. She couldn't use her number to make the call, but using someone else's could work. If this number truly belonged to the enigmatic Wang Jin Long, he might answer, intrigued by the mystery of the call.

A rift had formed between the game and reality, and the characters in the game were now linked to people in the real world. The possibility of creating a new game based on this concept was thrilling; it was sure to be a massive hit.

Xu Jin Yi rubbed her temples, her mind racing. Was it only safe to make calls within the game?

With a heavy sigh, she placed her pen on the table and stretched her back to ease the stiffness. Suddenly, a thought struck her: "Spirit Shenanigans."

Though familiar with the term, she couldn't quite remember the details, so she turned to the internet to search for more information. After typing in the phrase, "Spirit Shenanigans," the computer screen flickered a few times, causing her to jump in her seat.

And then, she remembered. Before the holiday break, her roommate had mentioned the term in reference to some sort of incident. But the details eluded her. She attempted to open the news article her roommate had shared, but her phone froze and became unresponsive.

As the computer screen flickered again, the search results finally appeared before Xu Jin Yi, a lengthy list of information. Her eyes scanned the headlines:

【Seven People Vanish After Boarding Midnight Bus】

【Late-Night Bus, Seven Involved in Shenanigans Incident】

【Eternal Bus Route: Survivors' Notes Officially Released】

Her vision blurred as her throat tightened, but her fingers instinctively clicked on one of the links.

【Survivors Wang, Shen, and Qin in This Incident...】

Wang Zhou Zhou, Shen Xi, and Qin Yue Qing.

Were they real? NPCs in the game were actually real people?

【Beep...】

Were they real people...?

【Beep beep...click...】

But this should only be a game, right?

【Beep click...】

"No, there's something else," she muttered as her mind raced with possibilities. Could it be that the production team saw the news and created this twisted game?

【Stab---】

Then, suddenly, the computer interface flickered like a strobe light at a rave. Memories of the last time flooded her mind - the frozen interface and unsolvable problem. Panic seeped into her veins, freezing her in place.

Wide-eyed, she stared in shock at the half-black and half-white computer screen, unable to believe what she saw. The reflection of a person, both familiar and unfamiliar, stared back at her. She whirled around to find a person with a rabbit mask behind her but found nothing.

The computer continued to flicker like a heartbeat on the verge of failure. Once bathed in daylight, the surroundings seemed to crumble and decay before her very eyes. She stood up yet continued to gaze at the computer with a mixture of terror and fascination.

【Beep---】

【Reboot was successful.】

**

"What in the world is happening? Wasn't the beta test already fixed? And now you're telling me about this situation?!"

"Restart at once! Retest everything! We must fix every last bug before the official release!"

"Has Wen Gui Yuan not returned yet? That fellow vanished into thin air...and he was responsible for this mess!"

"Delay the release? Ha! How absurd! We cannot afford to let our credibility crumble! Whatever it takes, complete this game with haste!"

**

【Bleep.】

【Restart was successful.】

**

The girl slumped over the desk and let out an unconscious whimper before slowly opening her heavy eyelids.

It was as if she had been lost in a dream world.

The computer screen before her was black, like an abyssal void. The girl stirred her numb arm and caught sight of the crumpled white paper beneath it. Nothing was written on it, just a pristine and unsullied sheet of paper.

The girl hesitated for a moment, then absently clicked the mouse. The temporarily blank screen flickered to life, revealing a picturesque landscape desktop. But still, there was nothing on it.

"How did I fall asleep?" the girl mused, her voice tinged with bewilderment. She scratched her head, furrowing her brows in thought. "Oh well, time to get back to the game."

She closed the computer, methodically tidied up the desktop, and then departed from the study, making her way to the sofa. She sank into the cushions, naturally donned the VR glasses, and delved back into her virtual world.

**

"..."

"..."

"..."

Zhang Rou Rou wandered through the library, her eyes scanning the shelves as if searching for something she couldn't quite grasp. That's when she stumbled upon a scene that left her bewildered.

The librarian, chatting away with Mr Wang on the phone earlier, now sat on the floor with a cold, detached expression etched on their face. A book rested on their slightly bent knee, and the spines of several others lay scattered around them. Perhaps Zhang Rou Rou's gaze was too obvious, or her footsteps were too loud.

As if pulled out of a trance, the librarian snapped their head towards Zhang Rou Rou with an emotionless gaze like a inorganic puppet. The uncanny valley effect overwhelmed her senses. Zhang Rou Rou panicked and bolted, leaving the librarian alone in their state. The librarian didn't glance in the girl's direction long as she ran away. Instead, they lowered their head and stared at their own hands, which were distinct in texture, white, and almost translucent.

Was this some kind of game? Another game?

Xu Jin Yi sat beside an empty bookshelf, her smile slowly fading away. She remembered. The muffled news broadcast playing on the TV in the restaurant downstairs. The news article stated that she couldn't read online or on any mobile device due to countless technical difficulties. No matter how hard she searched, there was no information about 'Spirit Shenanigans.'

The game character's head hit the bookshelf with a loud thud, and Xu Jin Yi's head hit the soft back of the sofa. It was as if something inside her had clicked. She knew who she was.

**

The seven-day holiday breezed by, and the inhabitants of dorm 603 at Plum Blossom College returned. As Yang and Tan walked through the door, their laughter and chatter subsided as they caught sight of someone unexpected inside the room.

"Jin Yi?" they exclaimed in unison.

Yang An An gazed at her roommate, who was already seated at her desk, with a perplexed expression. "Why did you come so early? You're from here, right? There's no evening self-study today. Tomorrow will be more relaxed for you."

Lao Xiang popped her head out and gracefully slinked into the dorm room beside Yang, inquiring, "What's going on? Did something happen?"

Tan Bao wordlessly and effortlessly entered the room and produced a bottle of tea from her shopping bag, extending it to Xu Jin Yi. "Please, have a drink."

Xu Jin Yi blinked twice before responding, "Thank you, Sister Bao."

"Hmm?" Tan Bao made a quizzical sound. "Why did you suddenly call me that?"

"I missed you." Xu Jin Yi beamed and winked. "I missed everyone."

Yang An An, Tan Bao, and Lao Xiang.

Her 603 dormmates.

——— Translator's Notes ———

Wen Gui Yuan (文归鸢)

Wen = language / culture / writing / formal / literary / gentle / (old) classifier for coins / Kangxi radical 67

Gui = to return / to go back to / to give back to / (of a responsibility) to be taken care of by / to belong to / to gather together / (used between two identical verbs) despite / to marry (of a woman) (old) / division on the abacus with a one-digit divisor

Yuan = kite (small hawk)

[TN: Yay, not only is this a new arc, but I have finnaly caught up to MTL, I had posted first, yay!! Please leave a comment on how you like my translation!]

Yang An An's brow furrowed as she studied her roommate, Xu Jin Yi, who sat across from her with a smile on her lips. She pondered momentarily before finally breaking the silence with a hesitant question, "Jin Yi, did you have a nightmare again?"

Xu Jin Yi was caught off guard by the inquiry, shaking her head and responding, "No, it's been a long time since I had a nightmare. I just figured some things out." She avoided the question vaguely and redirected the conversation. "Xiang, Bao, An An, can I ask you all a question?"

"What is it?" the girls chimed in unison.

"Well," Xu Jin Yi began, tilting her head to the side, "if you discovered that you were a character in a game one day, what would you do?"

The room fell silent as everyone's eyes widened in bewilderment. Even the previously composed girls' expressions froze. "What's wrong?" Xu Jin Yi asked, perplexed by their reactions.

"Well, I'm just a little surprised," Yang An An spoke up, breaking the silence. "Does this kind of setting circulate in the gaming community now?" She pulled her chair back, slouched on it, and sighed comfortably. "This..."

Lao Xiang chuckled, "'One day, suddenly discovering that you are a character in a novel, and then taking on the heavy responsibility of saving the world.' It's a popular plot in novels now."

Tan Bao nonchalantly rummaged through the snacks she had just bought before asking, "Jin Yi, are you planning to switch to writing novels?"

"No, I don't have any plans for that at the moment," Xu Jin Yi replied, propping up her chin with her hand. "I don't know much about online novels. When did this 'setting' become popular?"

Yang An An was quick to jump in, eager to share her knowledge. "Oh, let me tell you all about it! Let me introduce you to my goddess!" She grabbed her phone and tapped it briefly before displaying the screen. "Look!"

Xu Jin Yi leaned forward in her chair, eyeing the tiny font on the screen with mild interest. Yang An An's outstretched arm held her phone aloft, displaying the book title, «Robinson Crusoe Adventure»...? The title immediately conjured up an image of a wild man stranded on a deserted island in Xu Jin Yi's mind, causing her to shake her head with a wry smile.

"Is this some kind of pirated classic?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

Her roommates erupted into laughter, their mirth reverberating through the small room. Yang An An's face twisted in annoyance at their reaction, but she couldn't help but chuckle with them.

"No, no," Yang An An waved her hand with a smile, "the author of this book likes to change the title according to the content of the current chapter. I'm used to it." Yang An An clicked on the book and quickly scrolled to the latest chapter, her eyes skimming the words with practised ease. She turned to face the others, ready to explain.

"Mrs Siloro always likes to come up with catchy titles," Yang An An began, her voice laced with enthusiasm. "This time, she wrote about the protagonist coming to a mental hospital on a deserted island, just like Robinson Crusoe's survival on a deserted island."

Yang An An's eyes shone with excitement as she spoke, the words tumbling out in a rapid stream of consciousness.

"If you're interested in horror games, you'll love reading Mrs Sailor-Row's novels! It's worth getting into, trust me," Yang An An urged, her phone held out for Xu Jin Yi to see. "She's already serialized 500,000 words!"

Xu Jin Yi hesitated, but Yang An An was not one to be deterred. "It's free!" she exclaimed, hoping to win Xu Jin Yi over with the promise of zero cost.

On the bright screen, the author's name was written beneath the book title:

【SailorRowsRowsRowsInLineRowsRowsRowsSailor】

Xu Jin Yi raised an eyebrow, confused by the author's peculiar pen name.

"She's a novelist; isn't it normal for a pen name to be strange?" Yang An An explained, sensing Xu Jin Yi's confusion.

Xu Jin Yi's mind wandered to the myriad of author names she had seen in the library, and she hesitated before nodding. 'I don't really know much about novelists.'

"I see your question isn't too different from what Mrs Sailor-Row expressed," said Yang An An with a contented smile, wiggling her finger. "How can you determine that the world you're in isn't just a novel? There's even such a thing as autobiographical writing in literature. So, is it the novel that writes you, or you who write the novel? Mrs Sailor-Row's protagonist still hasn't found the answer, but she's still striving for herself. Let's say, worst-case scenario if the novel is writing you," she clenched her fist and continued earnestly, "then just let the disagreeable plot and troublesome readers go to hell!"

Her resounding declaration left the entire dormitory in speechless silence. Xu Jin Yi sat lost in thought as if she had heard something important. Tan Bao and Lao Xiang were less tactful.

[Hey, somebody copy pasted my translations on another site! Please show some love by liking my work on https://puukkiss.wixsite.com/inkydragon. Without it, I may think that nobody is reading my work and consider abandoning it, which means you won't be able to find it anywhere else.]

"It's getting intense," Lao Xiang said emotionlessly, holding the book. "The spirit of middle schoolers is burning."

Tan Bao couldn't contain her laughter.

Later that night, the dormitory of Plum Blossom College was quiet. As responsible college students, the inhabitants of dorm 603 had already turned off their lights and gone to bed, minding their own business.

Xu Jin Yi was about to climb onto her bed, but before it, she opened a newly bought thick notebook, first removed from a plastic package. Hearing the sound of the plastic wrapper, Yang An An lifted her head from her book with a keen sense of curiosity. "Who is it? I heard the sound of a new book's packaging!"

"It's me," Xu Jin Yi said, waving helplessly. "It's the one you recommended I buy last time. I plan to make a game guide with it and practise my skills."

Xu Jin Yi had spent considerable time immersed in the gaming world, devising and compiling strategies to aid her virtual conquests.

Yet, Yang An An's words caused her to bristle as she softly suggested, "Might a different notebook serve you better?"

Perplexed, Xu Jin Yi hurled her new notebook onto the top bunk, "Whatever's the matter?"

The weighty tome collided with the bed board, producing a loud thud to jolt Lao Xiang from the neighbouring bed. Startled and disoriented, she stammered, "What in the world is happening? Is it an earthquake?"

"It's not," Yang An An replied calmly. "Carry on playing, Xiang." Then, she turned to Xu Jin Yi, her voice tentative, "Don't you think this is a tad excessive? Even the underworld lord would be impressed with the sheer volume."

"You really think so? I don't find it that bad..." Xu Jin Yi clambered up the bunk with ease and ran her fingers over the thickness of the new journal. "But this isn't like the others. If I had to elaborate..." She paused for a beat, her lips curling into a grin. "It's a guide to creating games."

"Ah?" Yang An An was momentarily dumbfounded, her eyes widening in disbelief. "You're thinking of making one yourself—"

"Shush, shush, it's getting late," Xu Jin Yi whispered as she drew the curtains, revealing her sparkling eyes. "Goodnight, An An."

**

Opponent's Attorney, Please Interrogate: 【You're making your own game?】

Excelsior: 【I'm not quite that talented to do it alone. However, wouldn't you like to embark on a new gaming venture?】

Opponent's Attorney, Please Interrogate: 【What? Me?】

Excelsior: 【Didn't you participate in developing the recently launched «The Library of Eternal Life» game?】

Opponent's Attorney, Please Interrogate: 【Almost all the players on the gaming website participated. Yet, I didn't come across your book. Didn't the old dog send you a private message? All the books require authorization to enter the game.】

Excelsior: 【I mostly upload videos with scant written manuals to my homepage. Typically, I write them by hand in a notebook for my own usage.】

Opponent's Attorney, Please Interrogate: 【Handwriten?!! What a dated method... Are you a grandpa?】

Excelsior: 【?】

Opponent's Attorney, Please Interrogate: 【However, «The Library of Eternal Life» is an exclusive player game created by multiple players. Consequently, developing a new game isn't impossible. What category would you choose?】

Excelsior: 【PVP - Hide&Hunt.】

Excelsior: 【The gaming website has been promoting the renaissance of old games, yet they have yet to break ground in online gaming. How do you think players will react to a PVP game?】

Opponent's Attorney, Please Interrogate: 【Oh my god... It's going to be a disaster! (Spectator.jpg)】

Excelsior: 【As a newcomer, you may not be aware of this. However, a few years back, the gaming website launched a closed beta version of «Murphy's Amusement Park», which was quite the rage at that time. However, the results of the closed beta were delayed.】

Opponent's Attorney, Please Interrogate: 【I'm familiar with that. Whenever a new game is released on the website, someone inevitably compares it to «Murphy's Amusement Park». Do you have any connections to it?】

Excelsior: 【Absolutely not. But we can certainly create a new game.】

Opponent's Attorney, Please Interrogate: 【Be cautious with the copyright issues, though.】

Excelsior: 【We're merely taking inspiration from some character settings.】

Opponent's Attorney, Please Interrogate: 【Sounds interesting, but what brings you to me?】

Excelsior: 【I see you not only as my opponent but also as a kindred spirit.】

Suddenly, the person on the other end of the computer went from red in the neck to red in the face. Their eyes shone with an alarming brightness, and their fingers clattered on the keyboard as they typed: 【Are you trying to provoke me?!】

Excelsior: 【?】

Opponent's Attorney, Please Interrogate: 【Ha! I accept your challenge! However, I'm not a game designer myself. 'I am Ye Sir's Dog,' the main creator of «The Library of Eternal Life», is my friend, and I can ask him for assistance.】

Opponent's Attorney, Please Interrogate: 【Then, let's settle this in the game!】

Excelsior: 【...】

Excelsior: 【6 / Cool】 【TN: "6" (六 liù) sounds similar to the word "cool" (酷 kù)】

**

Xu Jin Yi set her phone aside and focused her mind on the task at hand. A new game... She closed her eyes and began recalling her conversation with Wang Jin Long in the library.

"How can I get there?" The man's voice was low, but Xu Jin Yi keenly sensed the urgency and greed hidden within.

At the time, Xu Jin Yi had thought it was a cleverly hidden game easter egg. She believed that the game makers had gone to great lengths to research and depict the psychology and behaviour of this unlikeable character.

"Let's not worry about that for now," she cleverly deflected the man's question. "Zhang Xiaohua said you look exactly like me."

The man paused, his tone peculiar. "Zhang Xiaohua?"

Xu Jin Yi raised an eyebrow, wondering if that was a fake name. The man quickly adjusted his tone and said, "It's a long story."

"Then make it short," Xu Jin Yi sneered under the guise of 'Cao Du', "I have plenty of time." She clearly heard the man on the other side sigh. 'Ha, this guy is pretending again!'

Xu Jin Yi only believed a fraction of what Wang Jin Long said. The rest was just him exploiting loopholes in the truth to gain people's trust. However, now that she was posing as 'Cao Du' in Wang Jin Long's eyes, Xu Jin Yi knew that she couldn't openly point out his lies even if he told them.

"You know we did get out at the end of that game," Wang Jin Long sighed before dropping a bombshell, "but too much time has passed. My identity can no longer be used," he said with a bitter smile. "I could only beg Shenanigans for a new identity and appearance. Aren't you in the same boat, Cao Du?"

Xu Jin Yi narrowed her eyes, peering through the phone as if she could see the person on the other end. "Has it been a long time?" she asked, hushed.

The line was silent, and for a moment, Xu Jin Yi thought the connection had dropped.

"You don't know?"

A pause, then, "You know that I haven't been out," Xu Jin Yi clung to Wang Jin Long's previous conjecture, "I've been here all the time."

"Is that so?" The other person's voice was guarded now, and they skirted around her question. "Anyway, it's been a long time. So long that I hardly recognize this era anymore. The Shenanigans gave me a new appearance, identity, and chance to start over. But every night, I'm haunted by the scenes from that hellish amusement park. I see Officer Ye, and I see you, Cao Du, in his arms," the man's words were charged with emotion. "I've been searching for you since I got out, but no matter how hard I try, I can't find you. I never expected you to still be in the amusement park..."

"What do you need me to do to help Officer Ye?" Xu Jin Yi would instead twist her head off and use it as a ball than believe him. She feigned a tremble in her voice, choked back a few false sobs, and said, "I, I'm not sure how to, but I'll find a way to get you in here, but are you sure? It's too dangerous here."

The man was resolute. "For Officer Ye, for you, I will come, no matter what."

Xu Jin Yi suppressed a wave of revulsion and fell silent, letting the weight of his words sink in. After a while, the other side began to falter, and she finally found her voice. "Where are you now? Once I find a way, I'll let you know the nearest route."

The other voice finally spoke, "I'm here —," but the words hung in the air, undecided. Then, as if greed took over, "— I'm in Jiang."

At this point, memories shattered into a million pieces.

Xu Jin Yi struggled to articulate the sensations coursing through her body. It felt like an out-of-body experience, a detached spectator observing the lifeless husk writhing below, its strings pulled by an invisible puppeteer. It was a struggle to give voice to these feelings. The game, she'd thought, was simply a game. To learn that it was real shattered her worldview, the resultant disbelief threatening to explode her mind. She'd anticipated more shock, perhaps even terror enough to scream, but her body proved more robust than imagined.

In that instant, Xu Jin Yi's mind raced at an abnormal speed, drawing up a rough trap template.

...A sense of anticipation simmered.

Eyes closed, the girl leaned against the frigid bed's railing, a wisp of a smile forming at the corner of her mouth.

Regardless, if it was indeed a game — She'd show them how to play it.

——— Translator's Notes ———

入坑 (rù kēng) - "Entering the pit" is a slang term used to describe becoming a fan of something.

赛罗罗太太 (Sàiluólùo tàitài) - The pen name of the author of the novel mentioned in the text. The name is a play on words that does not have a direct translation but sounds similar to the name "Silololo" and has a cute and playful connotation.

罗滨逊冒险记 (luóbīnní sēn) - Robinson Crusoe, a novel by Daniel Defoe.

盗版 (dàobǎn) - bootleg, pirated copy.

"6" (六 liù) sounds similar to the word "cool" (酷 kù)】