In Virtual Reality 93 ☆ The Hydrangea Park (17/33)

"But..." Lone Wolf looked at the open door and muttered, "There are two of them."

Wang Jin Long's expression was inscrutable. Why couldn't he have said it just one second earlier? His gaze darted to the two figures before him. Both were women, though they looked nothing like ordinary people. Still, the fact that women are usually weaker than men could be helpful to the point...

"Silence?" The leader of the young girl knights spoke with a rough male voice, leaving Wang Jin Long momentarily stunned. "Are you Excelsior?"

He had been thinking of saying it himself. Excelsior... Was that how it was spelt? Was the name even Cao Du's creation? This guy had so many names. With a smile, he confirmed the name.

"Well, my..." He searched his memory for the introduction template he had heard others use. "My ID is 'Excelsior', and I'm a good person card." He smiled gently. "And you?"

BGM and Fox Snap knew a lot about Excelsior on the game website. Though not fans in the usual sense, they held a certain degree of awe towards Excelsior's reputation. But their knowledge of Excelsior only came from the game videos the other party had uploaded and the comments they had replied to. Was this the same style Excelsior had in private?

The two exchanged a puzzled look, then turned their attention back to the young man awaiting their response.

BGM was the first to speak, and he said boldly: "My ID is 【BGM of the Righteous Way】, I'm on the good team."

Since all the wolf teammates had declared allegiance, Fox Snap didn't want to reveal her identity quickly. She returned to her timid persona and spoke softly, "My ID is 【Fox Snap】, I'm on the good team."

"You're not just a good team member, are you?" The young frontman suddenly spoke, looking at Fox Snap meaningfully. "I remember you're a judgment card."

At first, Fox Snap remained Silence under scrutiny but soon reacted. She blushed and appeared angry, "Being a judgment card doesn't mean I'm not on the good team!"

The young man quickly waved his hands and put on a smiling face. "Sorry, sorry, I just think that things would be clearer if we knew each other's abilities. After all, our goal is to win, isn't it?" He thought he understood everyone's ultimate goal but only received light laughter in response.

"Who said we have the same goal as you?" Behind BGM and Fox Snap, a deep purple figure slowly emerged.

Madam Stargazer, who had disappeared earlier, reappeared. The palm of her right hand was constantly flashing with a purple electric ball.

"My goal isn't victory right now," Madam squinted her eyes, and her smile became more and more chilling. "You know, everyone's goal right now is you!"

The dangerously charged electric ball hit him in the face! Wang Jin Long's pupils contracted, and his face was filled with shock.

Wang Jin Long's physical fitness paled compared to the group of people who were clearly not ordinary, even after his experience in the "Shenanigans". He remained vigilant, observing them even if they appeared as honest and simple-minded as the Lone Wolf. Trusting others was akin to laying oneself on the chopping block, waiting for the cleaver to fall. Vigilance was what he prided himself on.

Madam Stargazer's attack speed was fast, but Wang Jin Long could dodge it with his predictive skills.

However, this time was different. The electric light grazed his left cheek leaving a black, two-finger wide burnt mark. He gritted his teeth, suppressing the pain that threatened to explode. Wang Jin Long's expression turned gloomy as he faced away from the broadcast station door. He abandoned his facade, staring at Madam before him with cold eyes.

"What do you mean by this?" Wang Jin Long's tone was calm as he closed his eyes and suppressed his emotions, which didn't match his character. "Are you a werewolf?"

Madam Stargazer picked up on the quick flash of coldness in his eyes. Although it was fleeting, she had observed him the whole time and sensed the information he tried to conceal. Though suspicion swirled within her, she didn't let it show on the surface. Instead, she responded with a cold smile, "Werewolf? Are you still worried about that now?"

Wang Jin Long's mind raced in response to her rhetorical question.

"If it were a game, winning would be the top priority, right?" His suspicion-laden tone was directed towards the other person. Wang Jin Long stood tall at the door, recalling the other person's behaviour while talking to Cao Du over the phone. He imitated Cao Du's cold voice and said, "If you're not a werewolf, I don't know why you would suddenly attack me."

The three people present had strange expressions on their faces after hearing this. BGM, who had been Silence up to this point, looked Wang Jin Long up and down and spoke oddly, "You don't know the reason?"

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Wang Jin Long's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm and boldly asked, "What should I know?" He furrowed his brows, pretending to be wholly innocent and puzzled.

Wang Jin Long's thoughts were not as collected as his face appeared, and he immediately realized something was off. This group of people knew Cao Du's alias, but their understanding of him only scratched the surface. However, they had a unique way of communicating with each other, perhaps a characteristic of the non-human creatures in the "Shenanigans."

What did Cao Du say? Or what kind of information did he reveal to these people? This was not good, not good at all. Wang Jin Long only now realized something was amiss.

He initially believed it was a simple probe, but now the worst-case scenario was that Cao Du wants to kill him. Could it be that guy was only pretending to be duped? Wang Jin Long's heart sank. He should have realized someone who could freely move in and out of the "Shenanigans" couldn't be that foolish.

"You're not Excelsior." Fox Snap, the petite fox girl with animal ears, who had been silent until now, spoke up. Her fox ears trembled slightly, and her lips were pursed while her smoky pink eyes widened. "Excelsior wouldn't say that," she said expressionlessly.

One should take time to ask questions. Speaking out of impatience would only make one's argument less persuasive. Wang Jin Long gazed at her and said gently, "Then, what do you think I should be like?" He could tell that her eyes were getting colder by the moment.

Gentleness was not a characteristic that Excelsior was known for, at least not in Fox Snap's eyes. Wang Jin Long quickly adjusted his micro-expressions based on her reaction. Gradually, his voice turned cold, "Clearly, we've never met before, have we?"

The fox girl, full of suspicion, was taken aback. She furrowed her brows, and her eyes once again became uncertain. Wang Jin Long was unsure if this little trick had fooled her, but he had to confirm his identity. This was not only because he had claimed to be Silence to Lone Wolf but also because he did not want to reveal his name.

Madam Stargazer, on the other side, knew everyone's ID name. Although he could imitate Asmodeus and use one of the participants' identities, that was unrealistic and might make him a target. Cao Du had tripped him up, but how did he realize that Wang Jin Long would use his alias? This made Wang Jin Long somewhat suspicious.

How old was Cao Du during the mysterious incident at the amusement park? A child who was not even fully grown already had such deep thoughts and knew how to observe someone closely? Wang Jin Long now preferred to believe that the person he thought was "Cao Du" was not really Cao Du... perhaps it was one of the other people who were familiar with that game.

But only he and Cao Du survived that time at the amusement park. Wang Jin Long's fingers on his right side trembled slightly. No, there was one more...

"Alright, alright," BGM interjected to defuse the situation. His rough and bold accent accompanied his gesturing hands. "We all aim to win when we play games. But since none of the werewolves has been eliminated, why should we fight among ourselves?"

【Isn't Brother BGM the most chaotic and wicked? Who took over his account?】

【Bet a coin; this guy will definitely make a turnaround.】

It came as no surprise that BGM's longtime fans knew him the best. A bullet comment popped up, and the next second, BGM grinned and said, "But since you claim to be Excelsior, you must prove it."

Wang Jin Long asked indifferently, "Prove it? How should I prove it?"

BGM pondered for a moment, then clapped his hands and laughed. "I got it! If you are the real Excelsior, you must hate someone."

Standing next to him, Fox Snap was momentarily taken aback, and then a smile curved her lips.

Wang Jin Long found Fox Snap's expression the easiest to read of the three on the field. He immediately deduced that the person in question might not only be the most hated by Excelsior.

"Everyone knows, right?" BGM asked those nearby, his face beaming.

Madam Stargazer covered her mouth and chuckled. "Indeed."

These three were veteran players of the gaming website. They had long heard of Excelsior's well-known obsession or failure on the gaming forum. If this guy was indeed Excelsior, he could undoubtedly name that person.

Wang Jin Long pondered, who was the person he despised the most? No, wait, he wasn't Cao Du. Then who was he? He tried to speak but was interrupted by Madam Stargazer.

"If you don't want to say, that's fine," she said, crossing her arms and giving him a teasing look, "just tell us your real ID, dear. Otherwise, you might be the next one to be voted out."

Wang Jin Long remained silent. What was the point of this game? Who had posed as Cao Du and brought him here? Where was he now?

The young man knew that Madam Stargazer had access to everyone's real IDs but had no clue about anyone else's. Even if he were to randomly report a juvenile net name, it might not be recognized. His brain worked at lightning speed as he weighed his options.

Should he reveal his real name or risk pretending to be someone else? He couldn't decide, and the scene remained quiet longer.

The three players continued to watch him closely, their expressions inscrutable. The background music froze when the young man laughed lightly in the eerie silence.

Finally, the young man wiped away the tears in the corner of his eyes and spoke. "I'm sorry," he said, "I'm really sorry for deceiving you."

Madam Stargazer let out a cold snort while Fox Snap looked on with confusion.

"I'm really not Excelsior," the young man continued, "but I know him. He personally invited me to participate in this game. And for some reason, we couldn't meet outside of this game," he paused for a moment, then continued, "so I thought maybe I could talk to him here."

The young man rubbed the back of his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Like you, I haven't seen the real face of Excelsior," he said. "I tuned in to the broadcast earlier in the hopes of catching a glimpse. Your arrival, I must say, was a welcome surprise," he teased, a glimmer in his eye. "I half-expected the person themself to make an appearance first."

Fox Snap hesitated before answering. "Is that so?" she said coolly.

Madam Stargazer clicked her tongue impatiently, "And who might you be?" she demanded. "Merely claiming to be Excelsior will not suffice. Either you are them, or you are not. It's as simple as that." She stepped closer, her gaze piercing and the electric light in her hand crackling ominously. "Quickly give us your ID name!"

The young man threw up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Please, let us all stay calm," he implored. "I understand that you might have reservations about believing me, and even if I were to tell you my name, you might still harbor doubts about its authenticity."

"That is not your concern," Madam Stargazer retorted, grabbing him tightly. She was determined to extract his true identity from him, by force if necessary. "I have access to the roster of all the registered participants. With the exception of Asmodeus, who created a phoney account by nefarious means, any player invited personally by Excelsior would have their ID name on the list."

Madam Stargazer narrowed her eyes, and the crackling of electricity grew louder. "Are you, like Asmodeus, resorting to illicit methods to gain entry?"

The young man's face turned grave, and his expression grew sombre.

After a long moment, he sighed and looked straight at the intimidating woman. "Alright," he relented. "My name is...Jiang Wen En."

——— Translator's Notes ———

"Jiang Wen En" (姜文恩)

The surname "姜" (Jiāng) has several meanings in Chinese, including "ginger" (the spice), "to instruct," and "to assist."

The name "文恩" (Wén ēn) can be translated as "graceful culture" or "benevolent and cultured." So the full name "姜文恩" (Jiāng Wén ēn) can be interpreted as "graceful culture with the assistance of ginger" or "benevolent and cultured with the instruction of ginger."