In Virtual Reality 86 ☆ The Hydrangea Park (10/33)

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Xu Jin Yi was unsurprised when the game began with a tumultuous uproar of votes. It was to be expected, given that when she enlisted the beta testers via 【Opponent's Attorney, Please Interrogate】, she requested that at least half of them be thrill-seekers. And naturally, these thrill-seekers were all for Wang Jin Long's benefit. The more mayhem in the game, the more he must have thought he was successfully concealing himself, right?

Speaking of which...

Xu Jin Yi extended her arm and deftly pushed aside the branches blocking her path. Her body twisted and contorted, enabling her to squeeze through the narrow gap between the leaves. Layers of dark green foliage shrouded her figure, and soon, she had wholly merged into the shadows.

As a solo horror game player, Xu Jin Yi had no experience playing the role of a behind-the-scenes manipulator. The production of 《The Hydrangea Park》 was also half-baked, yet she still hoped to leave a "good impression" on that guy, Wang Jin Long.

Xu Jin Yi always had a peculiar feeling about this person.

Until now, 《Murphy's Amusement Park》 was a game in that she could not achieve a cheerful ending. Consequently, it became an unforgettable game for Xu Jin Yi. It wasn't as though she hadn't contemplated replaying it. Still, not only was she pressed for time, but she also suspected that they had never created a satisfactory ending. She had waited a long time for the official release, and recently, rumours were circulating that it would be launched next year.

Beforehand, {Murphy's Amusement Park》 was merely a game to her, but now...

As she ascended the final step, she breathed a breath of relief. Turning to peer down below, she could only see the dense mass of tree cover. The narrow, closely-packed gravel path beneath her feet appeared to stretch out endlessly, with neither a destination nor a return.

"I wonder where Wang Jin Long could be hiding," Xu Jin Yi mused, a low chuckle escaping her lips. "Perhaps he's lurking behind some unfortunate player, ready to trick them?"

Given his character, he'd likely choose a straightforward player to deceive.

"I hope the people that Old Attorney found for us won't disappoint me..."

Struggle as much as you want before the actual game begins.

**

The NPC wielding a scythe refrained from swiftly harvesting the life of Lone Wolf. And it was during this precise moment that the wolf, in its bestial form, promptly utilized its powerful limbs and the excellent qualities of an end-times broadcaster, darting out from the side of the NPC at a highly tricky angle!

The cold wind fiercely blew against the Reaper, causing it to shudder involuntarily. However, calling it the "Reaper" was no longer appropriate as its robe had been stolen. With a sluggish gait, the Bone Reaper slowly turned around, wielding its colossal scythe as it made its way towards the direction in which Lone Wolf had fled.

Fox Snap's eyes widened in disbelief. "Who can it catch up to with that speed?! I'm way more agile!"

Asmodeus adjusted his glasses and maintained his polite smile. "If the game's features are not responsible, then someone has tampered with the vote count. The game's host should know who it is, don't you think?"

Madam Stargazer was quiet for a beat before responding with a smile. "Not necessarily."

"Why not share the news with everyone?" Asmodeus pressed.

Madam Stargazer chuckled. "Hahahaha, who are you? Do I know you? Hahahaha."

Fox Snap remained silent, pondering the possibility of a secret feud between the two.

Madam Stargazer took the lead after their verbal clash and suggested they leave. With just a sentence, a thick cloud of purple smoke suddenly appeared. When it dissipated, the other person's figure had vanished.

Asmodeus's mouth flattened instantly after the other party left. "What a show-off."

Then he turned around and saw Fox Snap's complicated expression. Asmodeus was startled, surprised that he had forgotten about her presence.

"...You're still here," Asmodeus hesitated for a moment. "Since the result is like this, let's each search for clues separately."

The beast girl stepped forward, her wet eyes staring at him. "Asmodeus, aren't you going with me...?"

[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.]

He looked at her for a long time, then shook his head with a smile, speaking cryptically. "You just saw it yourself. Although this is a game, many people are not here just to win. Traffic, hot topics, trends, fans..." He turned around, his eyeglasses gleaming. "You can guess in a more personal direction. Anyway, if you want to win, go find other players."

Asmodeus chuckled darkly. "Winning the game isn't my only purpose for being here..." Unfortunately, the last sentence was lost in the wind, too low to reach Fox Snap's ears. "Wish you luck," Asmodeus bellowed as he turned and headed towards a specific direction.

The once crowded space, filled with four players, was now only occupied by Fox Snap. The beast girl remained in her spot, lost in thought.

"I get it now. Neither of them was a wolf or a judge," the beast girl, who had been previously timid and cautious, looked up and flashed her sharp teeth. "【Madam】 and 【Asmodeus】 are both civilian players, huh. Ha, luck hasn't been on our side," Fox Snap grinned lazily and stretched her arms. The thick book resting on her arm didn't fall to the ground. Instead, it hovered in the air, spinning around the beast girl. "That chuunibyou wolf doesn't seem like a teammate either," she said as she gazed at the sky. "What do you think? Was the person who voted for Lone Wolf on our side?"

【Hahaha, I bet my wolf teammate's hand!】

【Maybe it's a trial peek-a-boo?】

【Fox Snap's acting skills are top-notch! The beast girl is so fascinated!】

Fox Snap's live stream chat was awash with waves of laughter and jokes. Both the viewers and the host were there to enjoy themselves.

As she walked, Fox Snap hugged her thick-shell book and spoke thoughtfully, "I'm glad I didn't use a fake name initially. Who knew Madam Stargazer was also an internal player?"

【Haha, wouldn't it be great if Madam Stargazer was also a werewolf? With double wolves, we could take out Asmodeus in one fell swoop!】

【I think it would be even better if Lone Wolf was a teammate. With that physique, he could easily take out everyone!】

Fox Snap refused the idea of having Lone Wolf as a teammate. "That won't do," she explained, "the wrong skin was selected initially. It's best for Lone Wolf to be a civilian, as his skin alone can attract a wave of energy. However, I didn't expect the voting results to come out, and we couldn't execute the person who was voted out."

After pondering, Fox Snap asked, "Did someone anticipate that the werewolf would be voted out?"

【Oh, oh, oh!!】

【What's with all the excitement?】

【Perhaps it's Excelsior... Hehe, let's place a wager on Excelsior!】

"Haha, I was thinking the same thing," Fox Snap's eyes lit up with anticipation, "but it's unlikely. Excelsior is one of the game developers and is expected to remain neutral during the trial."

Most of the barrage agreed with this speculation.

"But you never know," she suddenly grinned cunningly, with the sly style of a fox. "After all, there's Wang Jin Long in this game."

【... Suddenly, a strange name pops up??】

【Wait, could it be that man!?】

【The Amusement Park Reaper - It's you! Wang Jin Long!!】

The barrage began to wail, and even those who rarely lost their cool expressed their doubts.

【How did Fox know? Could Wang Jin Long be an NPC?】

"Shh," the beast girl transformed into an innocent and pure look again, her eyes revealing clarity. "It's insider information. Wang Jin Long's data is among the players in this game."

**

In the dense forest of Chinese parasol trees, leaves gently fell to the ground and were quickly crushed under the feet of a looming shadow. The only audible sounds were the heavy breaths of a beast.

As 【Lone Wolf of the Apocalypse】 dashed through the woods at an alarming pace, he continued communicating with his live-stream audience. However, it was more of a verbal release than a conversation.

"What the devil are those fellows?!" Lone Wolf grumbled, exasperating, "Is this the intended way to play the game?!"

【Hmmm】

"Even experienced werewolf players don't understand. What kind of rule is this? Has it been altered?"

【Does this seem like a nod to "Murphy"? I'm not sure; let me check the game's backstory】

【Boss, I know you're anxious, but take a breath】

Lone Wolf replied, "......Thanks, but let's not waste time!"

【I've found it. Excelsior participated in developing this game, and the majority of the development team has played the Murphy series, so this game is like a Murphy fan-fest?】

Lone Wolf was fuming, "Huh? Shouldn't it adhere to typical human logic even if it's a fan-fest? Isn't the objective of playing games to win?!"

【A quick search +1, never mind the Madam, let's talk about Asmodeus, hmmmm】

【Asmodeus fanatic +1, our Asmodeus ranks among the top 20 in the Interstellar Hacker leaderboard! If I knew Asmodeus was streaming, I would have tuned in long ago...】

"So, why not just go?" Lone Wolf brushed off the comment.

【I really want to, but...】the barrage interrupted, 【once you enter the live stream for this game test, you're automatically bound! My Asmodeus!!!】

Lone Wolf replied with a simple "...6."

With nothing else to offer, the blunt survivor of the apocalypse sent a 6 to the unlucky passerby.

Thankfully, other viewers in his livestream chat tried to cheer up the disheartened passerby.

【Honestly, our livestream chat is pretty chill.】

【No commotion or anything, and I really dig watching the big bro beat up zombies with his bare hands!】

【Our big bro's got some serious skills in this area; you won't regret joining us, mate!】

Passerby: "..."

Oh, my wise Asmodeus!!! How did I end up in this simpletons live stream??

Lone Wolf ran for a while before finally glancing back. The hunched Reaper was nowhere to be found.

He gradually slowed down his pace until he came to a complete stop. "So, how do we win this game?" Lone Wolf was bewildered. "Aren't we supposed to aim for victory?"

The barrage attempted to serve as his external brain. Asmodeus's fans experienced the unusual simplicity amidst the sea of bullets.

"Hello?"

Lone Wolf's ears twitched, and he sharply raised his head.

A youth was stranded on a tall tree in the thick woods, cautiously eyeing him. "Apologies," he grinned apologetically, ""my starting point seems to be off," the young man gestured towards his current awkward position, then tentatively inquired, "Can you assist me in getting down?"

Lone Wolf sniffed and did not hastily agree. He warily regarded the individual above him, revealing his sharp teeth. "What's your ID?"

"Me?" The young man paused for a moment, then grinned awkwardly. "I am," he murmured, "you can refer to me as ---"

"Silence."

——— Translators Notes ———

Chuunibyou (中二病) is a Japanese slang term that translates to "middle-school second-year disease". It refers to a behavior exhibited by some teenagers, particularly middle school students, who try to act cool and sophisticated but end up being awkward and cringey instead.

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