“You have obtained the qualification to ascend to the second floor.”

 

Xing Ye did not pay attention to the black-and-white cube. Instead, he immediately opened his phone and sent Cao Qian a message, asking whether she had returned to the system space safely.

Cao Qian almost replied instantly: “Waiting for your good news.”

Xing Ye gave a simple reply as well: “Won. Just waiting for the system to give me the invitation card to the Final Stage.”

Although their exchange was brief, Xing Ye knew that Cao Qian was definitely happy for him.

Xing Ye wanted to transfer part of his points to Cao Qian, but points could not be transferred in the system space—they could only be transferred within a game world—so he had no choice but to give up the idea.

At this moment, Yan Hebi also sent a message: “Ahhhhhhh! I have so many points! This really proves the saying that good people are rewarded for their good deeds.”

Qian Jinlai also cautiously sent a message: “Boss, did you win?”

Xing Ye replied to Qian Jinlai: “Won. Thanks this time for the QR code you provided.”

Qian Jinlai replied: “The best news is that you can challenge the Final Stage!”

At the same time, Guan Ling also sent a teary message of concern. He said he didn’t know why, but somehow he had once again triggered a true ending by accident, and was about to rush into a high-level world. He begged the boss to clear the Final Stage as soon as possible and share the walkthrough with him.

Xing Ye put down his phone and chuckled softly. With these companions, he had already formed very strong bonds.

Lu Mingze said in Xing Ye’s mind: “Let’s meet in the real world. If you ask them out, they’ll be very happy.”

Xing Ye shook his head and said: “The timing isn’t right yet. If I can clear the Final Stage, I’ll definitely gather everyone together properly. But not now.”

Lu Mingze understood Xing Ye’s thinking and nodded firmly inside the mirror. “Alright. If we can both survive after the Final Stage, I’ll arrange to meet them with you.”

Xing Ye smiled and said: “Why are you still talking in my head? Haven’t you already returned to the system space? Before, you spoke in my mind to avoid being discovered by others, right?”

Lu Mingze stuck out his tongue inside the mirror and said: “It’s just more convenient this way. As soon as I think it, you hear it.”

The two exchanged a smile. Even though they still couldn’t be considered to have fully met or truly interacted in person, they were already a couple with “Hearts connected as one”.

Not knowing what QR code would be drawn this time, Xing Ye sincerely hoped that Lu Mingze could return to his own body.

But…

Xing Ye looked at the black-and-white cube, which had remained in a white-panel state the entire time. This time, the cube was extremely strange: it had six faces—three white and three pure black—like a completely restored Rubik’s Cube.

Seeing that Xing Ye had finally acknowledged it, the black-and-white cube said: “Player x8205, please receive your rewards.”

Receive rewards, not draw?

Xing Ye frowned slightly. He saw a piece detach from the cube’s white face, transforming into a white envelope that fell into his hand.

Xing Ye opened the envelope and saw a black-and-white invitation card. The material was like an ordinary postcard. The background was a black-and-white grid pattern: white text on the black squares, black text on the white squares—visually quite harsh on the eyes.

It read:
“Congratulations to player x8205 for meeting the clearance conditions. You have obtained the exclusive invitation card to the Final Stage. With this card, you may enter the Final Stage from the system space.”

The Final Stage invitation card looked so simple it was as if it had been casually made, yet countless players had fought with their lives for it.

Holding the invitation card, Xing Ye asked: “Is this world’s reward limited to just one? I remember that when challenging Hard Mode, since it was triple difficulty, I obtained three chances to draw QR codes in the end. Although the Train World didn’t explicitly state double difficulty, the player count exceeded the norm, and after the game ends we can rest for fourteen days. It should count as two worlds, right?”

The black-and-white cube replied: “Fine. Since the player has pointed out a loophole in the system, player x8205 is exceptionally permitted to draw one QR code as the second reward of this game.”

Why did it sound so reluctant?

Xing Ye said: “Only a QR code? I remember that in the game world, there was also a player who turned into a Fate-following item.”

The black-and-white cube said: “You already possess a life-type item. Players are not allowed to own two life-type items. In this game, there is only one final winner—you. The others have no right to receive rewards. Players who became Fate-following items during the game will be randomly assigned to game worlds, where they will wait for a destined Fate-defying player.”

Just like the little mirror from before.

Destined?

Xing Ye lowered his head and looked at Lu Mingze inside the mirror. Seeing that he too was deep in thought, and able to sense his thoughts, Xing Ye heard Lu Mingze say in his heart:
“Looks like we really are quite destined for each other.”

“Yeah,” Xing Ye replied in his heart.

Lu Mingze was startled by Xing Ye’s reply. He shot Xing Ye a glare, then simply hid himself deep inside the mirror, refusing to let Xing Ye see him.

Knowing that the little mirror had become shy again, Xing Ye realized that on the train they had been in a constant state of tension and had overlooked the true nature of this ability—it allowed them to read each other’s thoughts. The ability was powerful, but sometimes it could also be embarrassing.

Xing Ye didn’t want the little mirror to be upset. He did his best to restrain his thoughts and return to calmness and rationality, then said to the black-and-white cube: “Draw the QR code.”

A QR code before the Final Stage would certainly be special.

The black-and-white cube seemed rather reluctant as it began to rotate. After Xing Ye called for it to stop and scanned the QR code, the cube quickly returned to its three-white, three-black appearance, with the white face still directed toward Xing Ye.

They had drawn a QR code related to Xing Ye’s own ability. Lu Mingze no longer cared about being shy and poked his head out of the mirror to look at the QR code’s description.

Item Equipment QR Code:
By equipping the consciousness within this QR code item, the user may pull a specific individual into a mirror during the game and travel with them between different mirrors for a duration of 10 minutes. This ability may only be activated once every 24 hours.
If a person entering the mirror does not exit within 10 minutes, they must remain inside the mirror for a full 24 hours, waiting for the ability cool-down to end before they can leave. Individuals trapped in the mirror after exceeding the time limit cannot transfer between different mirrors.

Note: The item consciousness has no self-defence capability in front of individuals entering the mirror. Please choose the target carefully. A slight mistake may invite mortal danger.

After reading the QR code, Xing Ye shook his head in disappointment. “It’s not a QR code for returning to your body. The system really isn’t that kind. Until the Final Stage, it won’t let you recover.”

In truth, he had been full of anticipation for this QR code. He felt that at this point, the system should have allowed Lu Mingze to awaken. Unfortunately, it still hadn’t happened.

Lu Mingze, however, was quite optimistic. He said: “I think that at a moment like this, I shouldn’t return to my body. This QR code is pretty good—I like it.”

After speaking, he equipped the QR code, feeling that he had gained just a little more power to protect Xing Ye.

Xing Ye asked: “Why do you think that? Isn’t returning to your body a good thing?”

Lu Mingze shook his head and said: “If I return to my body, would I still count as your item? Based on the system’s behaviour, the most likely outcome would be forcing me to face a binary choice. If I choose to use the QR code to return to my body, I might regain my player status—or completely leave the game and go our separate ways. Body or accompanying you into the Final Stage—either choice would be too hard.

“Recovering my body is my dream, but clearing the Final Stage together with you is also my wish. Xing Shuo once said that a person cannot clear it alone, and you also said that only when a Fate-following item and a Fate-defying player completely trust each other can they defeat fate. But if I leave, you’ll be alone—and then you won’t be able to clear it.

“I don’t want to face such a dilemma. When we were drawing the QR code just now, I secretly made a wish that it absolutely wouldn’t be a body-recovery QR code.”

Lu Mingze said happily: “Looks like my luck isn’t bad. I gained another ability to protect you.”

Hearing Lu Mingze’s sincere, unhidden thoughts, Xing Ye was deeply surprised.

The little mirror he remembered was someone slightly delicate, somewhat childish, prone to sulking and acting on instinct—yet extremely kind, extremely strong, extremely adorable, with a childlike temperament. Who would have thought that without realizing it, Lu Mingze had already begun considering such profound matters?

Xing Ye admitted that he had also had similar suspicions, but the desire to restore Lu Mingze’s body had dominated his heart, causing him to deliberately ignore those thoughts.

But Lu Mingze had thought of it—and had made his choice long ago.

Xing Ye said softly: “If you think this way now, it means that even if a QR code with recovery abilities appeared, you wouldn’t use it. You’ve already made your choice. So no matter what QR code we drew, the result would be the same.”

“Of course it wouldn’t be the same,” Lu Mingze said seriously, shaking his head. “That would waste an ability. I think this power is pretty good. My luck really is great—the system responded to my wish once again.”

“No one would have the heart to put you in a difficult position,” Xing Ye said gently.
“Not even the system.”

“Then give it everything to conquer the Final Stage—don’t disappoint me~” Lu Mingze extended his pinky finger toward Xing Ye from inside the mirror.

Xing Ye raised his own pinky and lightly hooked it with Lu Mingze’s through the mirror.

A tingling, numbing sensation spread from their fingertips through their entire bodies. Both looked at each other at the same time, then realized simultaneously that the other felt the same way, and couldn’t help laughing together.

After thinking for a moment, Xing Ye said: “When we return to the real world, come with me to visit the graves—meet my parents and my younger brother.”

“Okay,” Lu Mingze said. “After I recover my body, I’ll go again. This time, I’ll personally bring them flowers.”

“It’s a deal,” Xing Ye said, looking at Lu Mingze.

“Ahem,” the black-and-white cube finally spoke after holding it in for a long time. “Player x8205, if there’s nothing else, you may return to the real world. Is flirting in the system space really that fun?”

Seeing that it was still as white as a blank sheet, Xing Ye asked: “Why are you so black-and-white today?”

Lu Mingze also said: “After I obtained the Final Stage invitation card, the black-and-white cube looked like this as well—white face toward me, black face hidden behind. Does it symbolize something?”

The black-and-white cube replied: “Because player x8205 did not seize any player’s consciousness during the game, nor did he exchange points for real-world money. His entire experience within the game was righteous. After the system settled the game data, the black-and-white cube in player x8205’s system space became like this.”

“So that’s how it is,” Xing Ye said. “This is the first time you’ve answered my questions so straightforwardly.”

The black-and-white cube said: “I once said that when you clear the Final Stage, the system will answer everything it knows and leave nothing unsaid. A player who challenges fate—you now possess the qualification to ascend to the second floor.”

 

Translator : DarNan