In Virtual Reality 77 ☆ The Hydrangea Park (1/33)

[TN: Yay, not only is this a new arc, but I have finnaly caught up to MTL, I had posted first, yay!! Please leave a comment on how you like my translation!]

Yang An An's brow furrowed as she studied her roommate, Xu Jin Yi, who sat across from her with a smile on her lips. She pondered momentarily before finally breaking the silence with a hesitant question, "Jin Yi, did you have a nightmare again?"

Xu Jin Yi was caught off guard by the inquiry, shaking her head and responding, "No, it's been a long time since I had a nightmare. I just figured some things out." She avoided the question vaguely and redirected the conversation. "Xiang, Bao, An An, can I ask you all a question?"

"What is it?" the girls chimed in unison.

"Well," Xu Jin Yi began, tilting her head to the side, "if you discovered that you were a character in a game one day, what would you do?"

The room fell silent as everyone's eyes widened in bewilderment. Even the previously composed girls' expressions froze. "What's wrong?" Xu Jin Yi asked, perplexed by their reactions.

"Well, I'm just a little surprised," Yang An An spoke up, breaking the silence. "Does this kind of setting circulate in the gaming community now?" She pulled her chair back, slouched on it, and sighed comfortably. "This..."

Lao Xiang chuckled, "'One day, suddenly discovering that you are a character in a novel, and then taking on the heavy responsibility of saving the world.' It's a popular plot in novels now."

Tan Bao nonchalantly rummaged through the snacks she had just bought before asking, "Jin Yi, are you planning to switch to writing novels?"

"No, I don't have any plans for that at the moment," Xu Jin Yi replied, propping up her chin with her hand. "I don't know much about online novels. When did this 'setting' become popular?"

Yang An An was quick to jump in, eager to share her knowledge. "Oh, let me tell you all about it! Let me introduce you to my goddess!" She grabbed her phone and tapped it briefly before displaying the screen. "Look!"

Xu Jin Yi leaned forward in her chair, eyeing the tiny font on the screen with mild interest. Yang An An's outstretched arm held her phone aloft, displaying the book title, «Robinson Crusoe Adventure»...? The title immediately conjured up an image of a wild man stranded on a deserted island in Xu Jin Yi's mind, causing her to shake her head with a wry smile.

"Is this some kind of pirated classic?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

Her roommates erupted into laughter, their mirth reverberating through the small room. Yang An An's face twisted in annoyance at their reaction, but she couldn't help but chuckle with them.

"No, no," Yang An An waved her hand with a smile, "the author of this book likes to change the title according to the content of the current chapter. I'm used to it." Yang An An clicked on the book and quickly scrolled to the latest chapter, her eyes skimming the words with practised ease. She turned to face the others, ready to explain.

"Mrs Siloro always likes to come up with catchy titles," Yang An An began, her voice laced with enthusiasm. "This time, she wrote about the protagonist coming to a mental hospital on a deserted island, just like Robinson Crusoe's survival on a deserted island."

Yang An An's eyes shone with excitement as she spoke, the words tumbling out in a rapid stream of consciousness.

"If you're interested in horror games, you'll love reading Mrs Sailor-Row's novels! It's worth getting into, trust me," Yang An An urged, her phone held out for Xu Jin Yi to see. "She's already serialized 500,000 words!"

Xu Jin Yi hesitated, but Yang An An was not one to be deterred. "It's free!" she exclaimed, hoping to win Xu Jin Yi over with the promise of zero cost.

On the bright screen, the author's name was written beneath the book title:

【SailorRowsRowsRowsInLineRowsRowsRowsSailor】

Xu Jin Yi raised an eyebrow, confused by the author's peculiar pen name.

"She's a novelist; isn't it normal for a pen name to be strange?" Yang An An explained, sensing Xu Jin Yi's confusion.

Xu Jin Yi's mind wandered to the myriad of author names she had seen in the library, and she hesitated before nodding. 'I don't really know much about novelists.'

"I see your question isn't too different from what Mrs Sailor-Row expressed," said Yang An An with a contented smile, wiggling her finger. "How can you determine that the world you're in isn't just a novel? There's even such a thing as autobiographical writing in literature. So, is it the novel that writes you, or you who write the novel? Mrs Sailor-Row's protagonist still hasn't found the answer, but she's still striving for herself. Let's say, worst-case scenario if the novel is writing you," she clenched her fist and continued earnestly, "then just let the disagreeable plot and troublesome readers go to hell!"

Her resounding declaration left the entire dormitory in speechless silence. Xu Jin Yi sat lost in thought as if she had heard something important. Tan Bao and Lao Xiang were less tactful.

[Hey, somebody copy pasted my translations on another site! Please show some love by liking my work on https://puukkiss.wixsite.com/inkydragon. Without it, I may think that nobody is reading my work and consider abandoning it, which means you won't be able to find it anywhere else.]

"It's getting intense," Lao Xiang said emotionlessly, holding the book. "The spirit of middle schoolers is burning."

Tan Bao couldn't contain her laughter.

Later that night, the dormitory of Plum Blossom College was quiet. As responsible college students, the inhabitants of dorm 603 had already turned off their lights and gone to bed, minding their own business.

Xu Jin Yi was about to climb onto her bed, but before it, she opened a newly bought thick notebook, first removed from a plastic package. Hearing the sound of the plastic wrapper, Yang An An lifted her head from her book with a keen sense of curiosity. "Who is it? I heard the sound of a new book's packaging!"

"It's me," Xu Jin Yi said, waving helplessly. "It's the one you recommended I buy last time. I plan to make a game guide with it and practise my skills."

Xu Jin Yi had spent considerable time immersed in the gaming world, devising and compiling strategies to aid her virtual conquests.

Yet, Yang An An's words caused her to bristle as she softly suggested, "Might a different notebook serve you better?"

Perplexed, Xu Jin Yi hurled her new notebook onto the top bunk, "Whatever's the matter?"

The weighty tome collided with the bed board, producing a loud thud to jolt Lao Xiang from the neighbouring bed. Startled and disoriented, she stammered, "What in the world is happening? Is it an earthquake?"

"It's not," Yang An An replied calmly. "Carry on playing, Xiang." Then, she turned to Xu Jin Yi, her voice tentative, "Don't you think this is a tad excessive? Even the underworld lord would be impressed with the sheer volume."

"You really think so? I don't find it that bad..." Xu Jin Yi clambered up the bunk with ease and ran her fingers over the thickness of the new journal. "But this isn't like the others. If I had to elaborate..." She paused for a beat, her lips curling into a grin. "It's a guide to creating games."

"Ah?" Yang An An was momentarily dumbfounded, her eyes widening in disbelief. "You're thinking of making one yourself—"

"Shush, shush, it's getting late," Xu Jin Yi whispered as she drew the curtains, revealing her sparkling eyes. "Goodnight, An An."

**

Opponent's Attorney, Please Interrogate: 【You're making your own game?】

Excelsior: 【I'm not quite that talented to do it alone. However, wouldn't you like to embark on a new gaming venture?】

Opponent's Attorney, Please Interrogate: 【What? Me?】

Excelsior: 【Didn't you participate in developing the recently launched «The Library of Eternal Life» game?】

Opponent's Attorney, Please Interrogate: 【Almost all the players on the gaming website participated. Yet, I didn't come across your book. Didn't the old dog send you a private message? All the books require authorization to enter the game.】

Excelsior: 【I mostly upload videos with scant written manuals to my homepage. Typically, I write them by hand in a notebook for my own usage.】

Opponent's Attorney, Please Interrogate: 【Handwriten?!! What a dated method... Are you a grandpa?】

Excelsior: 【?】

Opponent's Attorney, Please Interrogate: 【However, «The Library of Eternal Life» is an exclusive player game created by multiple players. Consequently, developing a new game isn't impossible. What category would you choose?】

Excelsior: 【PVP - Hide&Hunt.】

Excelsior: 【The gaming website has been promoting the renaissance of old games, yet they have yet to break ground in online gaming. How do you think players will react to a PVP game?】

Opponent's Attorney, Please Interrogate: 【Oh my god... It's going to be a disaster! (Spectator.jpg)】

Excelsior: 【As a newcomer, you may not be aware of this. However, a few years back, the gaming website launched a closed beta version of «Murphy's Amusement Park», which was quite the rage at that time. However, the results of the closed beta were delayed.】

Opponent's Attorney, Please Interrogate: 【I'm familiar with that. Whenever a new game is released on the website, someone inevitably compares it to «Murphy's Amusement Park». Do you have any connections to it?】

Excelsior: 【Absolutely not. But we can certainly create a new game.】

Opponent's Attorney, Please Interrogate: 【Be cautious with the copyright issues, though.】

Excelsior: 【We're merely taking inspiration from some character settings.】

Opponent's Attorney, Please Interrogate: 【Sounds interesting, but what brings you to me?】

Excelsior: 【I see you not only as my opponent but also as a kindred spirit.】

Suddenly, the person on the other end of the computer went from red in the neck to red in the face. Their eyes shone with an alarming brightness, and their fingers clattered on the keyboard as they typed: 【Are you trying to provoke me?!】

Excelsior: 【?】

Opponent's Attorney, Please Interrogate: 【Ha! I accept your challenge! However, I'm not a game designer myself. 'I am Ye Sir's Dog,' the main creator of «The Library of Eternal Life», is my friend, and I can ask him for assistance.】

Opponent's Attorney, Please Interrogate: 【Then, let's settle this in the game!】

Excelsior: 【...】

Excelsior: 【6 / Cool】 【TN: "6" (六 liù) sounds similar to the word "cool" (酷 kù)】

**

Xu Jin Yi set her phone aside and focused her mind on the task at hand. A new game... She closed her eyes and began recalling her conversation with Wang Jin Long in the library.

"How can I get there?" The man's voice was low, but Xu Jin Yi keenly sensed the urgency and greed hidden within.

At the time, Xu Jin Yi had thought it was a cleverly hidden game easter egg. She believed that the game makers had gone to great lengths to research and depict the psychology and behaviour of this unlikeable character.

"Let's not worry about that for now," she cleverly deflected the man's question. "Zhang Xiaohua said you look exactly like me."

The man paused, his tone peculiar. "Zhang Xiaohua?"

Xu Jin Yi raised an eyebrow, wondering if that was a fake name. The man quickly adjusted his tone and said, "It's a long story."

"Then make it short," Xu Jin Yi sneered under the guise of 'Cao Du', "I have plenty of time." She clearly heard the man on the other side sigh. 'Ha, this guy is pretending again!'

Xu Jin Yi only believed a fraction of what Wang Jin Long said. The rest was just him exploiting loopholes in the truth to gain people's trust. However, now that she was posing as 'Cao Du' in Wang Jin Long's eyes, Xu Jin Yi knew that she couldn't openly point out his lies even if he told them.

"You know we did get out at the end of that game," Wang Jin Long sighed before dropping a bombshell, "but too much time has passed. My identity can no longer be used," he said with a bitter smile. "I could only beg Shenanigans for a new identity and appearance. Aren't you in the same boat, Cao Du?"

Xu Jin Yi narrowed her eyes, peering through the phone as if she could see the person on the other end. "Has it been a long time?" she asked, hushed.

The line was silent, and for a moment, Xu Jin Yi thought the connection had dropped.

"You don't know?"

A pause, then, "You know that I haven't been out," Xu Jin Yi clung to Wang Jin Long's previous conjecture, "I've been here all the time."

"Is that so?" The other person's voice was guarded now, and they skirted around her question. "Anyway, it's been a long time. So long that I hardly recognize this era anymore. The Shenanigans gave me a new appearance, identity, and chance to start over. But every night, I'm haunted by the scenes from that hellish amusement park. I see Officer Ye, and I see you, Cao Du, in his arms," the man's words were charged with emotion. "I've been searching for you since I got out, but no matter how hard I try, I can't find you. I never expected you to still be in the amusement park..."

"What do you need me to do to help Officer Ye?" Xu Jin Yi would instead twist her head off and use it as a ball than believe him. She feigned a tremble in her voice, choked back a few false sobs, and said, "I, I'm not sure how to, but I'll find a way to get you in here, but are you sure? It's too dangerous here."

The man was resolute. "For Officer Ye, for you, I will come, no matter what."

Xu Jin Yi suppressed a wave of revulsion and fell silent, letting the weight of his words sink in. After a while, the other side began to falter, and she finally found her voice. "Where are you now? Once I find a way, I'll let you know the nearest route."

The other voice finally spoke, "I'm here —," but the words hung in the air, undecided. Then, as if greed took over, "— I'm in Jiang."

At this point, memories shattered into a million pieces.

Xu Jin Yi struggled to articulate the sensations coursing through her body. It felt like an out-of-body experience, a detached spectator observing the lifeless husk writhing below, its strings pulled by an invisible puppeteer. It was a struggle to give voice to these feelings. The game, she'd thought, was simply a game. To learn that it was real shattered her worldview, the resultant disbelief threatening to explode her mind. She'd anticipated more shock, perhaps even terror enough to scream, but her body proved more robust than imagined.

In that instant, Xu Jin Yi's mind raced at an abnormal speed, drawing up a rough trap template.

...A sense of anticipation simmered.

Eyes closed, the girl leaned against the frigid bed's railing, a wisp of a smile forming at the corner of her mouth.

Regardless, if it was indeed a game — She'd show them how to play it.

——— Translator's Notes ———

入坑 (rù kēng) - "Entering the pit" is a slang term used to describe becoming a fan of something.

赛罗罗太太 (Sàiluólùo tàitài) - The pen name of the author of the novel mentioned in the text. The name is a play on words that does not have a direct translation but sounds similar to the name "Silololo" and has a cute and playful connotation.

罗滨逊冒险记 (luóbīnní sēn) - Robinson Crusoe, a novel by Daniel Defoe.

盗版 (dàobǎn) - bootleg, pirated copy.

"6" (六 liù) sounds similar to the word "cool" (酷 kù)】

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