Chapter 290: April 20th

On the afternoon of April 20th at two o’clock, Qi Si appeared punctually at the Ruins of the Sunset.

The flow of time within the Eerie Game does not consume real-world time; instead, real-world time corresponds to spatial concepts within the Eerie Game.

For instance, a player entering the Ruins of the Sunset at 1:59:59 PM in reality would appear in Space A, whereas those entering between 2:00 PM and 3:59:59 PM would go to Space B.

Players in Space A and Space B cannot see, hear, or touch each other even if they stand in the same spot. Only certain management-type shops registered with points in the Eerie Game can bypass this spatial isolation to manage business across multiple time tracks simultaneously.

To prevent things like “foreseeing the future” from occurring, there is another hidden timeline within the Ruins of the Sunset that measures the sequence of time.

Regardless of which point in real-world time a player enters the Ruins of the Sunset, their time within the ruins is calculated from the starting point of this timeline.

Correspondingly, the later a player arrives, the earlier their relative time point within the Ruins of the Sunset actually is.

Although he could still see the figures of players who had entered the Ruins of the Sunset earlier and interact with them, theoretically, those players were not on the same timeline as him.

It was like the light emitted by stars billions of light-years away; by the time people on Earth receive it, the corresponding star might have already turned to dust. What he saw was merely a shadow simulated by the Eerie Game.

However, the Eerie Game allows for a margin of error within one minute. By timing it correctly, one could maximize the avoidance of paradoxes and communicate normally with a target.

Because of the Guild Exchange Conference, the space-time of April 20th at 2:00 PM was crowded with people under the World Tree of the Ruins of the Sunset.

Qi Si walked away from the crowd, clutching his guild emblem to teleport back to the Frog Hospital. Simultaneously, he sent a message via the Soul Contract: “Lin Chen, come to the guild base first.”

In the blink of an eye, the surrounding scenery transformed into the damp, cramped corridors of the hospital.

Lin Chen stood in the middle of the corridor and asked somewhat uneasily, “Brother Qi, what should I do later?”

“Talk less, listen more. Keep in touch; I’ll guide you if anything unexpected happens.” Qi Si scrutinized Lin Chen’s face, which had been modified by the 【Camera Filter】 item. It bore a forty to fifty percent resemblance to his true appearance; if someone looked with suspicion, it would be easy to recognize him.

He casually peeled the 【Human Skin Mask】 from his own face and tossed it to Lin Chen: “Put this on. Change your face, and buy some better clothes while you’re at it.”

The moment Lin Chen caught the item, its effects became clear to him, and he couldn’t help but be stunned.

In the Eerie Game, items capable of changing one’s appearance were extremely precious, let alone one that could change at will according to one’s desires.

Was Qi Si really willing to give him such a priceless item that couldn’t even be bought with money?

Qi Si said indifferently, “I’ve already exposed my hand to the Eerie Investigation Bureau. I expect they’ll be pestering me, so I won’t be able to use this kind of item for a long time.

“From now on, whenever you appear in the Ruins of the Sunset as ‘Lin Crow,’ wear this and don’t take it off. If they recognize you as Lin Chen, I’ll be in trouble too.

“Don’t wear the mask when entering an instance; use your own face. Since you’ve already livestreamed and set your nickname to be visible, it’s hard not to be known.”

Lin Chen: “Oh, okay!”

He didn’t dally any longer and applied the 【Human Skin Mask】 to his face. Controlling the shifting of his features and the changes in skin and eye color, he sculpted the image of a thin, pale, and gloomy young man with dark eyes in just a few seconds—it fit the name “Lin Crow” perfectly.

Qi Si nodded with satisfaction and stepped aside to let Lin Chen lead: “Guild Master Lin, it’s getting late. Let’s get to the venue as quickly as possible. Don’t be late.”

…The venue for the exchange conference was a vast auditorium. It was unknown how many points the leading major guilds had spent to make this magnificent building rise from the empty ground in just a few seconds, as if it had existed since ancient times.

Lin Chen wore a formal white suit with a dark black coat draped over it, forcing a solemn expression. He took the invitation to the long table outside the auditorium to sign in, then returned with two table placards displaying their identity information.

They read 【Lin Crow, Guild Master of Unnamed Guild】 and 【Si Qi, Vice Guild Master of Unnamed Guild】 respectively.

Well, it looked quite impressive, though it was a pity the Unnamed Guild only had two members.

Qi Si calmly played the role of a subordinate. Taking his Identity Card, he entered the venue to secure seats.

Lin Chen followed with as much of a leisurely stride as he could muster, mimicking the image of a big shot often seen in movies and TV shows.

The two had been delayed by their trip back to the guild base and arrived somewhat late, so they could only sit in the back row.

Qi Si picked a seat near the aisle and placed the table placards.

Lin Chen sat down with a poker face, looking unfathomable. Only Qi Si could tell how nervous and uneasy he was through his constantly trembling Soul Leaf.

“Brother Qi, Brother Qi, the person sitting next to me seems to be the Guild Master of the Fengyu Guild, the one who recently reached a cooperation with Jiuzhou…”

“Brother Qi, why are they all looking at me? Did they realize I’m wearing a 【Human Skin Mask】?”

“Brother Qi, that person seems to want to chat with me. What should I do?”

Countless thoughts bombarded and buzzed around the crimson Soul Leaf. Qi Si silently set a one-way mute.

A representative from an obscure small guild sitting in the front row turned around and smiled. “Guild Master Lin, I’ve heard much about you. Permanently closing two instances in less than two months—you’ve practically surpassed God Fu.”

Lin Chen had seen the outrageous speculations on the forums and naturally knew what this person was testing.

His heart was in his throat, but on the surface, he recited his lines with a faint, mocking smile: “This friend’s imagination is a bit too rich. There are so many people named Lin in the world. Basing arguments on unrealistic speculations is probably not very wise, is it?”

“After the record for ‘Wraith’ appeared, the Unnamed Guild just happened to be among the guilds that rose in rank. That’s too much of a coincidence.” The person was relentless. “Boosting the entire guild by two thousand ranks at once—Fu Jue’s hidden score probably isn’t even that high, is it?”

“I wish that rising star Lin Chen were one of ours. I wonder if he’d be willing to join our guild for the sake of sharing a surname.” Lin Chen felt his lines becoming much smoother; he was likely getting into the zone.

He gradually relaxed, his attitude becoming more composed: “In the years I’ve been in this game, although I’ve climbed to a decent position on the rankings, I have always admired Fu Jue’s abilities.

“You came up and used false information in public to say I surpassed Fu Jue. I don’t know what your intentions are, but that doesn’t stop me from disliking your phrasing.

“My tone was a bit stiff just now, please forgive me.”

The lines were provided by Qi Si, but Lin Chen performed them well, quickly shifting the focus of the conversation to his attitude toward Fu Jue.

The other party’s probing and provocation suddenly seemed like an attempt to sow discord, which was quite malicious.

That player sensed the shift and his tone turned unfriendly: “As far as we know, Jiuzhou does not acknowledge any connection with your Unnamed Guild.”

“Fu Jue was forced out of Jiuzhou by people like you not long ago, wasn’t he?” Lin Chen countered with a smile. “Can’t I admire Fu Jue personally? Even if there’s no connection, isn’t a person like Fu Jue worthy of respect?”

“Indeed. Although I am already a Guild Master myself, I am also a fan of Fu Jue in private.” Meng Wenfei, the Guild Master of the Fengyu Guild, chimed in at the right moment to smooth things over.

She wore a brownish-red gown and had her long hair tied in a ponytail. Although she was in her mid-thirties, she looked as young as someone in her early twenties.

Sitting right next to Lin Chen, she had been quietly observing their dispute. Now she said with a smile, “Speaking of the surname Lin, the former Guild Master of ‘Ark,’ Lin Jue, was also surnamed ‘Lin.’

“Young Guild Master Lin looks very young. Are you still in university? Lin Jue thirty-six years ago was also just a student who had just started university.”

At this point, Meng Wenfei pointed to the large screen on the rostrum, which was playing video clips from past conferences.

Those images were likely played in order starting from the first exchange conference. So far, the faces appearing were all unfamiliar ones who had long since perished in the river of time.

Some were impassioned, delivering idealistic speeches; others were practical and down-to-earth, reading out data and formulating future plans.

Currently, standing in the frame was a young man in a white suit and glasses. His face was youthful and naive, looking as if he had just graduated from high school and was about to enter university.

He clenched his fist, and his clear voice rang throughout the hall:

【We are all human, our fates are linked, our emotions are shared, and we have common stances and pursuits. In the struggle against the eerie, only by helping each other in the same boat can we achieve final victory!】

【One day, we will be able to clear the Final Dungeon and close the Eerie Game. The dusty past will see the light of day, contributions and sacrifices will not be buried, memories will remain, and souls will be immortal. We will look out upon a future without the eerie together!】

It was a very familiar slogan, one that had been promoted by Jiuzhou until people’s ears were nearly calloused, but the young man in the footage seemed to be its originator.

Meng Wenfei said, “That is Lin Jue.”

The player in the front who had started the trouble had already turned his head back.

He wasn’t a fool; he knew the topic had been firmly pinned on Fu Jue by Lin Chen. Continuing to argue would only make things more confusing.

Rather than openly offending Jiuzhou’s people on Jiuzhou’s turf, it was better to swallow this loss.

Lin Chen maintained a standard smile, his face feeling a bit stiff: “Guild Master Meng, to be compared with such a figure, I truly don’t deserve it. I only look young; I’ve actually been working for many years.”

“Age doesn’t really matter,” Meng Wenfei said. “I’m thirty-seven, and I can still run, jump, fight, and kill just fine.”

Lin Chen: “You look like you’re only in your twenties.”

“Hahaha, I’ll take that as Young Guild Master Lin complimenting my youth.”

Qi Si sat quietly beside Lin Chen from beginning to end, appearing focused on awaiting instructions.

After Meng Wenfei finished her pleasantries with Lin Chen, her gaze fell on him: “This young man must be Si Qi? I’ve heard of you. You’re currently the only player who has escaped the Puppeteer’s control. How did you do it?”

Qi Si smiled: “It was all thanks to our Guild Master’s rescue.”

Hearing this, Lin Chen’s heart, which had finally settled, leaped into his throat again.

Big shot, do you hear what you’re saying? Do you have to put me on such a high pedestal?

Meng Wenfei looked at Lin Chen with an inquiring gaze.

Lin Chen remained expressionless, feeling his already stiff face grow even stiffer.

Fortunately, as the images on the big screen were replaced by a PowerPoint presentation with gold letters on a red background titled “The 36th Eerie Game Guild Joint Exchange Conference,” the conference officially began.

The sound of small talk in the venue subsided, leaving only whispers between acquaintances.

A young man with semi-long hair, dressed in a suit, walked onto the rostrum and spoke into the microphone: “Good afternoon, everyone! Let me introduce myself first. I am Yu Jinsheng, the Vice Guild Master and acting Guild Master of the Tingfeng Guild. It is an honor to host this exchange conference.”

His appearance lacked distinguishing features, and his voice was somewhat neutral. It was likely that if one turned around and tried to recall his face a moment later, they would at most remember his clothes and hairstyle.

The players’ attention wasn’t on his looks either; they were all whispering to each other:

“Why is someone from Tingfeng hosting? Is it reliable? Shouldn’t the top-ranked guild be hosting by right?”

“I heard something happened within Jiuzhou. They’ve purged a lot of people. They’re probably busy with internal strife and couldn’t find anyone to host.”

“With this happening at such a critical juncture and Fu Jue gone, are the guild rankings going to shift again?”

“It’s about time. Back then, the Ark Guild only lasted fourteen years before collapsing. The Jiuzhou Guild has already been around for twenty-two years.”

Qi Si shifted his gaze to observe his surroundings. As expected, he didn’t see Fu Jue anywhere.

Hoh, did he really not come, or is he hiding in some corner?

Yu Jinsheng on the rostrum seemed not to hear the discussions below at all and continued on his own: “Everyone’s time is precious, so I won’t waste words here. I’ll keep it short.

“First, according to the joint predictions of our guild and Jiuzhou, the Final Dungeon will inevitably open this year. The format might not be a specific randomly generated instance as you might expect; there is a high probability it will be related to that black high tower in the Ruins of the Sunset.

“Everyone should have played tower-climbing games before, so I won’t elaborate. I will publish the basis for the inference and related data on the forum later, so I won’t take up time here.

“Of course, the above information is not one hundred percent certain. We are not responsible if we guessed wrong.”

The crowd below was in an uproar. Whether it was the prediction of the Final Dungeon’s opening time or the judgment of its format, either one was explosive news.

Yu Jinsheng continued: “Second, the Identity Card mechanism is indeed related to divine authority, just as you suspected. However, it is not a selection process, but merely a self-rescue effort as the world-ending apocalypse approaches. I cannot speak to the specifics.

“Those who have bound an Identity Card are eligible to open the Final Dungeon. Friends without Identity Cards need not worry. Each main card has several sub-cards. Temporarily binding a sub-card and following a main card holder for a tour of the Final Dungeon is also permitted by the rules.

“Again, adding a disclaimer: this is just a speculation and not certain. Also, let me clarify for Jiuzhou—they have never forced anyone to give up their Identity Card.”

Yu Jinsheng paused for a moment and said, “I believe there must be Identity Card holders among you. It’s unrealistic to ask you to disclose your identities publicly. But I’ll still give you a suggestion:

“While there’s still time, find a few trustworthy people to form a team and go through a few instances to build rapport. Consider it preparation for the Final Dungeon. Ask Jiuzhou for team-forming items.”

The players looked at each other.

Asking the Jiuzhou Guild for team-forming items—wasn’t that the same as walking into a trap?

It sounded like they had ill intentions!

Yu Jinsheng’s expression remained unchanged as he flipped a page of his script: “Third, the eerie invasion is real. We have been fighting against the eerie contamination on the hidden front in reality for many years. In this process, tens of thousands of people have sacrificed themselves anonymously.

“The reason we blocked the news before was simply because we didn’t want to cause widespread panic. But now we all agree that it’s better to die with understanding than to live in ignorance.

“I might as well tell you that many of the instances we experienced were once normal worlds, only becoming infested with monsters after being contaminated by the tentacles of the eerie. If you don’t want our world to become like that, do your best to clear the Final Dungeon.”

He put down his script and turned to walk off the rostrum. Halfway there, he suddenly turned back: “Oh, I just remembered there’s one more thing.

“Many promising newcomers have emerged recently. Those who are interested in contributing to the Final Dungeon but don’t have an Identity Card can come up and introduce themselves.

“Those with Identity Cards should also take note of them. You might consider recruiting a few you like to form a team.”

After dropping the last sentence, Yu Jinsheng didn’t linger and walked straight into the backstage area.

Qi Si narrowed his eyes as he watched his departing back.