VRMMORPG: The Other World Online

"Are we playing the same game?" San Zhe asked her. "In fact, isn't your luck a bit too good?"

Cheng Xiu shrugged. She felt like the entire second sub-plot was a bit too easy, though she was not sure of the reason it would be so easy.

The rats were not her kin for sure. Was it the system who was helping her? What could be the reason?

"There is a rumour," Yaksha said in a whisper.

Cheng Xiu and San Zhe looked at him curiously.

"That the system would manipulate things so that you can upgrade quicker if it thinks that you have a higher chance of being a powerful cultivator."

San Zhe's eyes widened. "That makes sense! Sister Xiu is so great!"

Cheng Xiu looked at San Zhe skeptically. She wondered what kind of things were going inside of San Zhe's head that he said she was great or amazing at every turn. People would think she bribed him if it continued on.

"I have been stuck on the first Quest for weeks," Cheng Xiu said to them with dull eyes. "Don't rub salt into that wound."

"So dramatic," Yaksha mocked her. "My Little Sela, the system is able to say if someone has potential or not. You can look at your achievements on your own and then tell me."

Cheng Xiu frowned. "What are you-"

"You reached 100% comprehension on the True Cultivation Method," Yaksha said to her. "You defeated a Level 70 Monster-"

"That one was only possible because I used the weapon from Immortal EverHill."

Yaksha shook his head, smiling a little under the mask. "Do you think it is so easy for a Level 3 Player to grab a Level 70 weapon, use it, and succeed it? The system has protocols for such moments."

"So there was a glitch in the program at that moment?" Cheng Xiu suggested. "How else would I be able to hold it then?"

Yaksha tilted his head. "Do you know why there are so many people who are willing to take the True Cultivation Method even though it is the least productive one?"

Because it is the first cultivation Method that we are thought?" Cheng Xiu said to him, rolling her eyes. "Are you trying to suggest that my cultivation method is the reason that I was able to hold onto that weapon of EverHill? If so, doesn't that mean that it is not that impressive a feat? You just contradicted yourself."

Yaksha laughed at her.

San Zhe and Cheng Xiu looked over at him in confusion.

"Do you think it is so easy to get access to the Qi Island of the Country?" Yaksha asked her.

Cheng Xiu felt that there was something in his words that she should take note of. Qi island. The one where she accessed the pillar?

"Is it supposed to be difficult?" Cheng Xiu asked.

"What the hell is a Qi Island?" San Zhe asked in a low voice.

Yaksha's eyes darted towards San Zhe for a moment before he looked at Cheng Xiu with a laughing pair of eyes.

"It is not difficult," Yaksha said to her. "Only those that the system feels have shown to have potential would be dragged to this Cultivation Method by an NPC in some ways. The fact that it is your first cultivation method…what did you do to impress the system so much?"

Cheng Xiu's mind went to that scene long ago, in a different game, where golden clouds surrounded her. The moment she had gained the Title of True Primordial. She still did not know what that title could have brought her because she never had a chance to use it, but it seemed that the system gave it great importance because it gave her preferential treatment because of it.

Cheng Xiu felt a small feeling of regret creep into her heart for not using the title.

"Forget it," Cheng Xiu said, "there is no use talking about it. We should just finish this Quest soon. I am not feeling too well."

San Zhe's eyes widened and he almost teleported to her side. "What happened? Where does it hurt? Why didn't you say anything earlier? How about we log off here?"

Cheng Xiu gave him a strained smile. Why was San Zhe so dramatic? And why did she feel a little warm inside her heart?

"Brother San," Cheng Xiu called out, "You are far too emotional."

"How am I emotional?" San Zhe asked in an offended tone, "You went into deep dive! I just wanted to make sure that you were okay!"

Yaksha started to walk off.

"Lord Yaksha!" San Zhe exclaimed, "Please make Sister Xiu see reason."

Yaksha raised an eyebrow and then looked at Cheng Xiu. "See reason."

Cheng Xiu blinked at him.

He stared.

Cheng Xiu blinked.

He continued to stare.

Cheng Xiu felt her brow twitch in annoyance. What did he want with her!

She thought for a moment. It couldn't be that he was expecting her to respond, was he?

"Okay?" Cheng Xiu said, though it sounded like she was questioning him.

Yaksha nodded in satisfaction and then began walking again.

San Zhe looked between the two. What was that? Was that the bigshot's version of making Cheng Xiu do something? How would that be effective? Did the man think Cheng Xiu would just follow his words because he said it to her?

San Zhe then thought of Yakshas' identity in the game. The man was the Lord of Ghosts. He was the Number 1 player of the game. Ordinarily, his words should really be enough to make someone do something.

He then looked at Cheng Xiu who walked beside him with a far off look in her eyes.

Cheng Xiu could be said to be a bigshot herself. And she had not played the game long enough to have a fanatical view of Lord Yaksha. She had no reason to obey him.

San Zhe let out a sigh.

"Look! A Fork in the path!" Cheng Xiu said to San Zhe.

San Zhe blinked and looked ahead.

Sure enough, h saw a metal fork on the rock-cut floor.

"Why is there a fork here?" San Zhe asked her.

"How would I know."

An idea occurred to San Zhe.

"We should pick it up. Maybe it would be important to clearing the dungeon," Cheng Xiu said to him suddenly.

"I was thinking the same thing!" San Zhe said with a laugh.

Just as he bent down to pick it up, two arms caught him by the elbows and dragged him back.

San Zhe looked at his right elbow that was held by Cheng Xiu and his left elbow that was being held by Lord Yaksha. What just happened?

"Caught in an illusion?" Cheng Xiu asked Yaksha.

Yaksha nodded.

"Who was caught in an illusion?" San Zhe asked in confusion.

"You," Cheng Xiu said to him.

"Huh?"

"You mumbled something about thinking the same thing to me and then tried to pick up that fork," Cheng Xiu said to him.

"You also agreed to it," San Zhe said in a greivious voice.

Cheng Xiu frowned. "Why would I tell you to pick up a fork from the ground?"

"Because it might help us to clear the dungeon faster?"

"Can the fork help us to kill the rats?" Cheng Xiu asked Yaksha.

The man shook his head.

Cheng Xiu looked at San Zhe, "even if I told you that it is useful, why would you try to pick in up directly without trying to see if it has some kind of trap in it?"

San Zhe blinked. "I…I…"

"And our mission is to kill the Rats," Cheng Xiu said to him, "How do you think this will help us?"

San Zhe stared at the fork on the ground in confusion. That was right. How would a fork help them to kill the rat counsellors and Queens?

Cheng Xiu shook her head. "Forget it. You were put under somekind of spell."

San Zhe nodded.

Cheng Xiu frowned as she thought of something. "For a low-level dungeon, this place has too many ways to mislead the players to their death."

San Zhe nodded. "Not all dungeons are like this."

"Oh?" Cheng Xiu looked at him curiously.

"The rat pits in the other Clock towers do have illusions but here it seemed to have been amped."

"I see," Cheng Xiu said in a low voice.

Yaksha walked forwards and stamped on the fork.

The fork made a whining sound.

Cheng Xiu and San Zhe backed away from the thing with a tacit understanding.

The "Fork" started to wiggle under Yaksha's foot.

Cheng Xiu felt a bit bad for the utensil. It only wanted to be picked up by the weak members and instead got stamped by the bigshot. Poor thing.

"Maybe…" Cheng Xiu started to say.

Yaksha lifted his foot.

The "Fork" ran away.

Cheng Xiu blinked.

Right as she thought it would escape completely, she saw it return. And now, with it was a spoon.

Cheng Xiu felt a bit complicated. Wasn't it the Fork ran away with the Spoon? Why was the Fork bringing the Spoon to them?

"This is the big meanie!" a cute voice shouted.

Cheng Xiu's eyes widened.. It came from the Fork, and its spokes were pointed at Yaksha.