Lu Mingze, who had been held in Xing Ye’s palm all along, raised his hands high in the mirror and said, “After that suicidal player came out of the door, the door disappeared. It was so terrifying that I kept watching him closely, so I remember it very clearly.”

“The door is meant to trick players into entering. If the player doesn’t go in or runs out, the door disappears. If the doors on the first floor correspond to players, then there aren’t that many players in this world. There are only seven of us, with four not even inside,” Cao Qian analysed, “And the doors on the second floor are limited in number and completely different from the first floor. So what’s going on with the third floor?”

Guan Ling asked, “Could this be someone’s mental world? The more we talk about it, the scarier it gets.”

Seeing that Xing Ye hadn’t spoken and seemed to be deep in thought, Cao Qian didn’t want to interrupt him, so she explained to Guan Ling, “First, the game was designed to immerse us in someone’s mental world. If the bug were that simple, why would the game go to such lengths to allow it in? It would also harm the game, right?

“Second, whose mental world would have so many doors, or even have the ability to control players?

“Third, since the game allowed the bug to enter, this castle must be something that exists outside of the game but is still closely related to it, which is why it could set our endpoint here after we jumped from the building.

“I think this place is related to the players, but it still feels... off. I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

Guan Ling stared at Cao Qian in shock and, after a moment, pushed his jaw back up, saying, “Sister Cao, the way you just laid out your first, second, and third points sounds exactly like how our boss talks. When did you become so smart?”

Cao Qian wasn’t sure herself. Throughout their journey, she had been watching Xing Ye closely. No matter what he said or did, Cao Qian would take notes, and after returning to the real world, she would carefully review and record everything that had happened in the game. She noticed that her notes were unreadable to others—only she could see the writing.

But it wasn’t for others to see. Cao Qian’s goal was to learn from Xing Ye’s thinking and analytical methods, hoping that one day she could also independently reach the true ending of a world.

Especially after the last world, where Xing Ye earned so many points, Cao Qian realized that they couldn’t always rely on him. Eventually, they’d have to face these twisted worlds on their own.

When her former teammates abandoned her, and she had to start over with nothing, Cao Qian had felt completely hopeless. In the school world, she never expected to pass—she was just mechanically going through the motions of completing the tasks.

The one percent luck of a Fate-defying player had allowed her to meet Xing Ye, and for the first time, she truly recognized her own combat potential. Privately, she called Xing Ye her teacher, using him as a role model, constantly analysing his thought processes.

She would never forget what Xing Ye had told her: to not just be a fighter. She believed she was achieving that now, though she still had a long way to go. But that was okay—she knew she would grow stronger, both in the game and in real life.

As Guan Ling watched Cao Qian’s transformation, he couldn’t help but reflect on himself. He had always relied on riding Xing Ye’s thighs, instinctively depending on stronger players. Yet Xing Ye had told him countless times to not see himself as just a healer or support role, to instead explore his full potential. But aside from the acting skills he’d practiced through years of gambling, what else did he really have?

While the two were reflecting on themselves, Xing Ye was listening to Cao Qian’s words.

He had already formed a hypothesis, though he didn’t want to admit it and was even afraid to think about it. What Cao Qian said actually served as supporting evidence for his theory.

Xing Ye stood up, ignoring the creature that was still trying to break through the attic door. He walked to the stairs on the third floor, turned around, and looked at the hall, as well as the chair, which was bathed in a golden glow from the sunlight. It was almost like a divine throne.

And below this bright third floor were the doors of the second and first floors. If the second-floor doors still offered some clues about identity, the doors on the first floor were blank slates, not even having names.

This castle could almost be summed up in one phrase: “For every general who rises, thousands of bones are left behind.” (NT: ‘一将功成万骨枯’ - metaphor expressing that that the rise of a single leader or general often involves the sacrifice of many lives.)

Xing Ye spoke with difficulty, “The objects hanging on the doors on the left side of the second floor are similar to fate-bound items, while the ones on the right, mostly weapons, seem more like the initial skills of Fate-defying players.

“The doors on the first floor are countless, and none of them have names. They open for players who are still alive, signaling that we are about to enter but don’t need to just yet.

“Cao Qian is right. Since the game has opened the door, whatever has come in must be something related to the game but also independent of it.”

Upon hearing Xing Ye’s words, a chill rose in Guan Ling’s heart. He had a vague guess but was afraid to confirm it.

Xing Ye continued, “The first floor has no sunlight at all, the second floor lets in a little, but the third floor is bathed in light. The five items on the table each have their own meanings and together they resemble a throne.”

Cao Xi and Guan Ling listened quietly, both waiting for the answer.

Xing Ye said, “I couldn’t originally determine what this place was, but the 'Out' sign on the last door on the left side of the second floor gave me a hint and helped me guess the meaning of these doors.

“The doors represent players who have died in the game—not the game’s death, but real death. It’s like those who were taken by Randy’s pocket watch, players whose time was absorbed by the watch, countless others erased by fate-bound items, players killed by these items, and the few who entered but didn’t come out. All the players who died in beginner worlds, battle royale worlds, and advanced worlds—all their consciousnesses are behind these doors.

“One door corresponds to one person. Over time, countless players have been killed in the game, so the doors on the first floor are virtually innumerable.

“As for the third floor, it’s completely different from the first and second floors. While the first and second floors are the graves of the losers, the third floor is the throne of the winners. The black-and-white cube once said that the final level offers rich rewards, and I believe the five items on the table represent those rewards. The book symbolizes history and can also represent intelligence and knowledge; the pen can write history and represent power; the gold coins symbolize wealth; the weapon stands for military power; and the kneeling figure represents the human heart. The winner of the final level might choose one of these five items.

“But now the throne is empty, indicating that no one has passed the final level.”

“What about the second floor? What are the ten doors on the second floor?” Cao Xi couldn’t help but ask.

Xing Ye glanced at the small mirror. Lu Mingze seemed to understand something, lowering his head and avoiding eye contact with Xing Ye. “The second floor is different from the first. There is a bit of light coming through, and the doors have symbols representing identity, giving a sense of respect. It’s probably a gesture of respect for the brave souls who failed the final challenge.

“The left side features fate-bound items that were once fate-bound players who failed the final challenge. The right side features fate-defying players. I don’t quite understand what the weapons mean, but I think these players must have died in reality as well.

“Of the ten doors, nine are marked ‘Do Not Disturb,’ indicating that someone is resting inside. If there’s someone behind the door, it means that player has died. Only one door is marked ‘Out,’ and it just so happens to have a mirror hanging on it. The small mirror is actually a fate-bound player who failed the final challenge, and he’s been in my hands since he became an item. He’s still alive in reality.”

Cao Xi looked at Xing Ye and the mirror in his hand, seeing no trace of emotion on his face.

She was the only one who vaguely sensed Xing Ye’s feelings towards the mirror. She didn’t know what kind of emotions Xing Ye was feeling as he spoke these words.

In this cemetery, there had always been a place reserved for Lu Mingze.

NT: A short chapter. The author says in comment that the next one will be longer

 

 

Translator : DarNan