Chapter 122
Chapter 122
In full public view, the two of them were the last ones to log out of the Script.
And that final stretch had been ridiculously childish. Both of them could clearly have gotten out already, but because neither was sure whether the other had made it out, they ran all over the Script.
Even more childish than that, one of them was still leading the NPC and the Clown around inside the Script like they were out for a walk.
The audience was like: This is supposed to be an infinite flow game. You two are really just here to have fun, aren’t you?
The one most exasperated by all this was the Main God.
It had only just managed to steady the System’s internal “foundation,” which had begun to stir faintly because of the massive unrest caused by the Players. Then it went to look at the Camera and saw those two over there walking the NPC and the Clown around.
The Main God lost it again.
It called 003 over. “You’ll be the Judge for their next match.”
Shu Yan let out an “Oh?” “So you’re not letting me provide emotional payoff for the audience anymore?”
“…” The Main God was furious. “Emotional payoff? Is your idea of emotional payoff taking the lead in screaming when those two started kissing???”
“But the results were obvious. I saw people screaming along with me.”
“Weren’t even more people so uncomfortable they couldn’t sit still?!”
“Were there?”
“…” You stupid bird!
Shu Yan gave an “Aiya.” “Then I really didn’t notice. But sending me to be their Judge in the next match would be a little difficult.”
The Main God had a premonition. It felt like whatever it was about to hear next would give it a heart attack.
But Shu Yan had come here for exactly that purpose-to give the Main God a heart attack. “In the round from six down to three, Zone F drew the semifinal bye.”
From six down to three, the top three still had to determine first, second, and third place.
The competing teams had to have the same number of members. After one round of matches, the team with more people left could make targeted choices of members based on how many people the opposing team still had remaining.
A team with a bye had a natural advantage: they could go straight into the third round, would relatively have more members, and naturally have more options.
Not to mention that after one round of matches, Zone F was also the only team whose entire roster had survived.
Now that Zone F had the bye, none of the other Star Zones had any Players who could fly, and the Main God had no need to send 003, who possessed traversal abilities, into the Script.
The Main God stared at the two identical faces on the surveillance screen.
One face was expressionless. The other looked obviously guilty.
As it watched all of Zone F leave in high spirits after drawing the bye, the Main God suddenly thought of the first Internal Upheaval two years ago.
No-what happened two years ago could perhaps only be counted as the Players’ overconfident provocation, though it really had nearly caught it off guard.
But the explosion a year and a half ago-that was what truly counted as an “Internal Upheaval” within the System.
Its two exceptionally outstanding children, 001 and 002, had betrayed it.
And now, on the surveillance screen, the two Players with them-Number One Swordsman in the World and Willow-were both there.
Just like two years ago.
The Main God let out a cold laugh. Two years ago, it had managed to wipe out everyone around Rao Lin and Ning Wang.
Two years later, it would not only be the people around them, but the two of them as well.
It would not let a single one go this time.
The surveillance screen shifted to the audience in the Central Zone as they gradually left the stands.
This time, it had transferred everyone who might coordinate with them from the inside to the Central Zone.
The System itself was due for a major reshuffling as well.
The Main God then pulled up the Cameras on Ning Shuo’s group again, only to discover that no matter which Camera view it checked, Ning Shuo and the others were nowhere to be seen.
Its heart skipped a beat, and it asked 003, “Where are they?”
“Ah,” Shu Yan replied, thoroughly enjoying the drama, “I couldn’t find them either. Maybe they discovered the Water Moon Mirror’s second use?”
To be honest, when Rao Lin faced Ning Shuo again, he felt a slight twinge of guilt over that line he’d said when he left that Script: “Who is Ning Shuo?”
So after logging out of the Script and recovering his memories, the very first thing he did was go look at Ning Shuo’s screen.
When he saw the two of them getting closer and closer, a bizarre thought flashed through Rao Lin’s mind: they were running toward each other from both sides.
The last time he’d had such a bizarre thought was: he’s so in love.
Naturally, victory or defeat was determined by who completed the mission first, not by who left the Script first.
The three winning teams-Zone A, Zone D, and Zone F-drew lots, and Zone F sent out Rao Lin, a seasoned gambler in the casino of love who had already lost his entire fortune.
Before the draw, Song Zhu squeezed his hand. “Take care.”
“Teacher Song, I’ll miss you.”
Zhuang Yao said, “One-in-three odds. We can do it.”
Qin Genan said, “I checked the almanac before heading out today. It’ll definitely work.”
Luo Li said, “Want me to do a reading for you? Outside the Script, I guarantee it’ll be off.”
Ning Wang said, “Hurry up and go.”
Rao Lin’s moved expression instantly collapsed. “You’re the one ruining our team’s unhinged vibe the most. Get him out of here.”
Then he turned hopeful eyes toward Ning Shuo, expecting him to say something normal for once.
Ning Shuo thought for a moment, then spread his arms and shouted, “May God bless us!”
Rao Lin: “…”
It was human language, sure, but maybe a little too loud.
Fortunately, this team had no shy introverts for the time being, so Rao Lin strode from the waiting area to the platform, full of swagger, and smacked the button-
On the big screen, Zone F appeared next to the bright red words indicating a bye.
People in the audience started whispering.
“They didn’t cheat again, did they?”
“No way. Wasn’t this one drawn randomly by the System?”
“That’s exactly why the System could be cheating.”
“…No, wait, whose side are you even on?”
“I’m just saying.”
Some people cared whether someone had cheated. Others didn’t care in the slightest.
They were already in a deadly survival game, and some people still cared whether anyone was cheating.
If you really wanted to talk about cheating, then they might as well stop using items and props altogether.
Some teams had already begun thinking about strategies for the next round. Other teams were already marching off with heads high and chests out.
Even if there was one discordant note in those footsteps.
Rao Lin suddenly turned around and stared straight at the Two Nings and their little one-runs-one-chases act. “You two-what are you doing?!”
Frowning, he urged them, “We’re leaving under the eyes of the entire audience across all zones right now. Could you at least walk with a little spirit? Stop doing all those tiny lovey-dovey moves like some flirting couple.”
Then Rao Lin immediately turned to Song Zhu and shamelessly sucked up to him. “Teacher Song, don’t you think I’m right?”
Teacher Song only failed to suppress a smile, the corners of his lips lifting, and said nothing more.
Ning Shuo, who had been busy coaxing Ningning before getting interrupted, smiled. “Captain, don’t be so performative.”
All of that was just the prelude to drawing a bye.
After they came out of the Script, Rao Lin told them to go rest.
Ning Wang was still stewing over the fact that Ning Shuo had hidden quite a lot from him, then run off to the Second Timeline without even saying hello, and had even caused him to forget his own dear big brother.
Oh, and there was also the matter of their flirting spot being used. He’d kept forgetting to mention that one.
After they left the Script and he confirmed that Ning Shuo didn’t have so much as a scratch on him, Ning Wang put on a stern face, staying mad while secretly enjoying all the little things Ning Shuo did to coax him-hooking his pinky, poking his forearm-only for Ning Wang to dodge away.
Which was exactly what Rao Lin had called one running and one chasing.
But Ning Wang could still fly just fine without wings.