qizi / 65
The long-awaited love course has finally arrived——
“Not at all! Who could possibly be looking forward to it!” shouted a Ling Xiao who had been forcefully driven off the training grounds, his face wrought with grievance. Today’s learning objective was to use a grade-1 elemental soul crystal. Originally, he and his friends were happily throwing large fireballs at one another, but when time came, the instructor ruthlessly tossed him out.
Why couldn’t he be like the other students and study properly? Why must he go out and fall in love?
But also, this course had no instructor, no textbook, no reference materials, not even a suggestion—so how’s he supposed to fall (in love)?
Completely clueless, Ling Xiao opted to seek help from Yuji, whose affections level was not any better than theirs.
“What are you guys gonna do?”
Yuji was a little embarrassed, “He said he wants to go back to the dormitory and sleep. I couldn’t win against him.”
The corner of Ling Xiao’s mouth twitched. So this is also called cultivating your affections level?
“What about us then?” he asked Ying Feng, “Let’s get this straight though, I don’t want to go back and sleep.”
Ying Feng pulled out a long list, “This is info I found on the web and in the library. Ninety-nine things people in love should do and fifty places couples must-see.”
Ling Xiao: …
Ling Xiao robotically read through the contents of the list from start to finish, his face frozen by time he reached the end. What is all this?
Watch movies (this one’s still normal), candlelight dinner, hot spring bath, buy sexy lingerie together, adopt a pet, use Qizhu’s skill: Release (what’s this?) once in public, play a game where the identities of Qizhu and Qizi are swapped for a day (ah this one’s not bad)…
Wait, that’s not right! Nothing’s good in here, everything’s wrong!
Ling Xiao chucked the list, “How can anyone fall in love if it’s scripted!”
Ying Feng’s expression didn’t change, “What do you suggest then?”
Ling Xiao racked his brains and thought for a bit: “I got it!”
Special Commodity Exchange Zone.
“Hello, this is the Soul Crystal Exchange Street. Only eligible people may enter. Please show your personal terminals.”
They stuck out their wrists for a scan.
“I see you are students from Yutian Military Academy. Welcome.”
It was the first time that either of them have come to this place. Besides stores that sell soul crystals, there were also: trading houses for people to exchange soul crystals, wholesale stores for raw materials, trial spots for virtual soul crystals, arenas, gambling houses where chips can be redeemed for soul crystals, as well as all sorts of adventure activities.
“Hey, you over there, wanna gamble on a ‘something-from-nothing’ soul crystal? Just needs your spiritual power to be level-1 to activate it.”
“What is it?”
“Something from nothing. Activate it and you can get a random item. Maybe it’ll be something valuable, maybe it won’t, it all depends on your luck.”
Ling Xiao was a little interested, and asked Ying Feng, “Wanna try it out?”
Ying Feng whipped out the magnetic card, “Two.”
“Thank you for your patronage!”
Ying Feng went first, and got a card.
“Oh? Let me see,” the vendor took a closer look, “Congratulations, you got yourself a game voucher, which means you can sample an adventure game in whichever shop on this street. The value of this card is triple that of ‘something from nothing’, so congrats, you got your money’s worth!”
“Alright, it’s my turn now.”
Ling Xiao focused his energy, I wonder what I’ll get, “Activate!”
White light sprung forth from his hand, and immediately after, the white light dispersed, replaced by something else.
The three of them: …
Ling Xiao lost his mind: “Why is it a banana! Why is his a voucher, while mine’s a banana!”
“Everything’s random. Some folks have ended up with rocks and chicken feathers. We can’t control the outcomes either,” explained the vendor innocently.
Ling Xiao, who had started throwing a tantrum, was dragged away by Ying Feng, saving the poor little shop vendor.
“Whatever, I should be glad it didn’t turn out to be a banana peel,” Ling Xiao angrily devoured the banana, not feeling better at all.
“Since there’s that coupon, let’s go play a game.”
They walked into the closest game shop.
“With this type of free voucher, you can only try the couple’s questionnaire game. If you want to play an action adventure game, you’ll need to pay extra.”
“What’s the point of a questionnaire, of course we want adventure one.”
“We’ll take a couple’s questionnaire.” Ying Feng’s voice echoed behind him.
“Why?” asked Ling Xiao, raising his voice.
“Did you forget what our afternoon course is about?”
…what an annoying xueba!
Ling Xiao instantly withered, “Questionnaire it is.”
“We’ve recently introduced a new questionnaire game from Earth. Would you like to give it a try?”
“Earth? What game?”
“The game’s full name is rather long. It’s called «When you don’t want to be together, the whole world insists that you be together; when you do want to be together, fate is bound to separate you».”
“So long! Why are Earthlings so long-winded!”
“This will do,” Ying Feng didn’t want to go back and forth on this.
“This way, please.”
An employee led them to the entrance and said, “Let me briefly explain the rules of the game first. It’s set up using magnetic poles, and it will start off with opposite poles. If your views differ, the poles will reverse, and you will both receive a penalty. The severity of the penalty increases with the number of times your views conflict. Only after there’s a consensus will the poles reverse again.”
“Each of you has the right to ‘object’ once, and using ‘object’ means you can skip a question you don’t want to answer. But after the game is over, there’s a small penalty for every ‘object’ you’ve used.”
“Once you clear the run, you’ll be rewarded with a complimentary gift from our shop. The gifts here can’t be found anywhere else, so I wish you the best of luck on this endeavor. Oh, right, and there’s one more thing I forgot to mention: since this game is imported, we’ve taken care to configure it with the proper localization settings. However, there were still some questions that couldn’t be replaced, so you’ll occasionally run into ones that are incomprehensible. Feel free to answer them in any way you wish.”
“The rules are quite complex,” remarked Ling Xiao, feeling like he had already forgotten the previous ones by the time they finished explaining the ones at the end.
“You’ll get it once you’re in.”
As the two entered the game chamber, a female voice chimed:
“I am the narrator NPC for this place. The current game only features the two of you as participants, so your answers shall be kept strictly confidential, not privy to any third party. Are you ready?”
“Ready.”
“Then, let the game begin.”
“AH!” yelped Ling Xiao, crashing into Ying Feng next to him, “What’s going on?”
It took Ying Feng a lot of force before he managed to peel Ling Xiao apart from his body, “Look at your chest.”
Ling Xiao looked down, and on his chest, a letter N had materialized. Peering at Ying Feng’s chest again, also in the same place, etched the letter S.
“Oh, so this is the magnetic pole set-up. What should we do now? It’s impossible to walk like this.”
Ying Feng tested it out, “As long as there is physical contact, we won’t be sucked together like just now.”
“Take my hand then.” Actually no other alternatives come to mind.
Before them stretched a long hallway. Two individuals, hand in hand, crossed the vast corridor. Ling Xiao’s discomfort grew with each step—he’d obviously done things that were far more intimate than this already, so why, then, was some small hand holding making him feel so restless?
“Here.” Ying Feng’s voice pulled him back from his wild imaginations. They now stood in front of the first question-and-answer checkpoint.
“Now for the first question, please choose the answer with care:
“For this game, would like to choose: A, easy mode; B, hard mode?”
“Difference being?” questioned Ying Feng.
“On hard mode, the questions are more challenging to answer, and the penalties are proportionately more severe. Unless the game is lost, participants are not allowed to stop midway. But naturally, the prize at the end will be even more generous.”
Ying Feng: “A.”
Ling Xiao: “B.”
The two of them: …
“We’re new players, we don’t know what questions lie ahead of us, and we can’t stop midway either. We obviously need to attempt it on easy mode first.”
“A game is all about challenges. What’s the point if it’s easy? I want to play on hard mode.”
“Please promptly confirm your answer. Any further delay will result in a penalty for both parties.”
“Fine,” Ying Feng caved, “Choose B.”
A void opened up underneath their feet, and they fell into a new space.
The two of them: …
“What’s tofu brains?”
“Sounds like it’s some sort of food. Earlier, the employee mentioned that there were some parts of the game they couldn’t localize. This should be what they were referring to.”
“Oh, then picking whatever should work.”
“Mm.”
Ling Xiao: “A.”
Ying Feng: “B.”
The two of them: …
“Why B?”
“I don’t like sweets.”
“But you don’t even know what tofu brains is, what if it happens to be a dessert?”
“Then there’s no reason to ask if it’s sweet or salty.”
“How do you know there won’t be salty desserts?”
NPC: “Please promptly confirm your answer.”
Silence.
“Fine, it doesn’t matter, the sweet one it is. I choose A.” Ying Feng conceded.
“Answers concur, pass.”
Ling Xiao shouted, “I don’t want to answer dumb questions anymore, bring on something more challenging!”
“Next question: Is anything possible? A, yes; B, no.”
Ling Xiao: “A.”
Ying Feng: “B.”
“What’s the reason for it this time?!”
Ying Feng calmly explained, “If you say yes, it will again ask you, if anything is possible, then is it or is it not possible for something to not be possible. If you say that it is possible, then there must be something that is not possible, violating anything is possible. If you say that it is not possible, it equally violates that anything is possible.”
Ling Xiao: “…Although I didn’t understand a word, but, B!”
“Answers concur, pass.”
“The following question is a widely famous ethics question from Earth. Kindly look towards the screen for an explanation.”
A projection of a train materialized before them. There was a fork in front of the train, and on the set of tracks where the train was headed, ten individuals were frolicking about, while on the other set of tracks, only one individual occupied the space.
“The people on the screen right now are five to six year old children on Earth, our Nestling equivalents. The tracks on the left have been abandoned while the tracks on the right are strictly off-limits for anyone to linger. Presently, the train is about to reach the railroad switch, galloping at full-speed, and you hold the power to alter its trajectory. Do you choose to let the train continue its course, hitting ten lawbreaking Nestlings, or do you choose to alter its trajectory, hitting one law-abiding Nestling? A, divert; B, do not divert.”
“I choose C, divert, then deploy teleportation to rescue the single Nestling.”
“Regrettably, Earthlings do not possess this type of ability. Kindly reselect an answer.”
Ying Feng opened his mouth, “I choose B.”
“Why?”
“Rules are rules. You can’t punish those who abide by the rules just because there are many who violate the rules. What purpose would such rules serve?”
“Should rules matter when a life is on the line? Those are ten Nestlings, ten souls, death means their ashes scatter into oblivion.”
“Please promptly confirm your answer.”
Ling Xiao: “Object.”
“Are you sure you want to use ‘object’? I must emphasize that this is your sole opportunity, and that furthermore, it will incur penalties at the conclusion of the game.”
“I am sure. Both sides are lives. I am reluctant to take a side.”
“‘Object’ successfully used, skipping this question. Next question.”
On screen, the Nestling on the abandoned set of tracks faded away, transforming into the another individual. Ying Feng and Ling Xiao’s expressions shifted by various degrees.
“The individual you currently see on screen is different. Each of you now perceives this individual to be the other. The question remains unchanged: don’t alter the tracks, what will be run over is a Nestling , or alter, and what will be run over is your other half. Now choose: A, divert; B, do not divert.”
Ling Xiao & Ying Feng: “A.”
“This is the first time your views have aligned since you entered the game. Even the player who had adamantly upheld the rules just moments ago has now forsaken them. Could it be interpreted that neither of you truly care about the other’s life?”
Ling Xiao unwaveringly declared, “I swore an oath to protect Nestlings with my life. Even if the person up there is me, my choice will still be A. I have faith that Ying Feng will also make the same decision, so his decision is precisely my answer.”
“Then this question has reached its conclusion. Next question: If a weak individual is in danger, but this individual is someone you detest, would you offer to help? A, yes; B, no.”
Ling Xiao & Ying Feng: “A.”
“If you help this individual, it might put you in danger. Would you offer to help? A, yes; B, no.”
Ying Feng: “B.”
Ling Xiao: “You’re only saying it might happen, not that it is certain?”
“Please answer promptly.”
“B.”
“If helping someone you detest puts someone you love in danger, would you offer to help? A, yes; B, no.”
Ling Xiao & Ying Feng: “B.”
“Conversely, if the individual who needs help is someone you love, and helping him will inevitably endanger the individual you detest, and possibly even result in their death, would you offer to help? A, yes; B, no.”
Ying Feng: “A.”
Ling Xiao: “…A.”
“What’s there to hesitate about for this one?”
“Because the person I hate might also be someone that another loves…Never mind, I’m just rambling.”
“If both sides contain people you hold dear, and the one who needs help is your friend while the one in danger is your lover, but helping one would mean you lose the other, would you offer to help? A, yes; B, no.”
“What the hell is this question? I refuse to answer!”
“I regret to inform you that your ‘object’ has been used up.”
“Use yours,” relayed Ling Xiao to Ying Feng.
“I don’t want to use it yet. I choose B, I have no friends.”
“Speaking as if you have a lover.”
NPC: “Please promptly make your selection.”
“I choose A, I have no lover!”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure!”
“Reversing magnetic poles.”
Ling Xiao suddenly flew away while the tiles on the opposite end of the room collapsed, revealing the billowing magma beneath.
Ying Feng clenched his first, and realized that Summon Qizi was of no use here. Reacting swiftly, he lunged forward, catching his hand. The two of them, one above and one below, hung precariously at the edge of the cliff, with a tremendous repulsive force gradually tearing them apart.
“A friendly reminder: this is a stimulated playing field. You won’t receive any real injuries, but you will feel a certain amount of pain. Should one fall, they will endure five minutes of scorching pain. That is the penalty for differing views. Should you wish to remove the penalty at any point, simply change your answer, and that will suffice.”
Ling Xiao was currently falling bit by bit. This was just awful; even if this was bogus, he still dreaded the idea of plunging into the magma below. But the force of the magnetic pole’s repulsion was too strong. At present, the two of them both displayed the letter S on their chests. At this rate, Ying Feng won’t be able to hold on to his hand for much longer.
“I…”
Letting out a muffled grunt, Ying Feng firmly grasped Ling Xiao’s hand, swinging him away from the magma. The two swapped positions: Ling Xiao flew up the precipice while the opposite reaction sent Ying Feng hurtling down it, the two of them being driven farther and farther apart. Eyes wide, Ling Xiao watched as Ying Feng fell, watching as he was about to plummet into the magma.
“I CHOOSE B!”
Bang——the magma vanished, and the letter in front of Ling Xiao reverted to an N once more. The two who were in midair collided into everything with a bang as they tumbled and rolled on the ground while hugging each other.
“Ouch.”
Ling Xiao was rubbing his forehead. He actually, genuinely did crash into the ground just now, crashing into it hard enough to make him see stars.
“This game is too weird, I’m not playing anymore.”
“My apologies. You have selected hard mode, and it cannot be terminated by an individual.”
“Then what must be done to terminate it?”
“After three incongruous selections and three penalties, you will be deemed to have lost the game.”
“…Such a trap!”
“May I ask if you are ready to move on to the next question?”
Ying Feng caught Ling Xiao’s hand and got off of him, “Since you already opted for hard mode, then you should earnestly fight to clear the game. We still have two more chances.”
Ling Xiao took a deep breath, “Continue!”
“Next question: If your most beloved mentor seeks your assistance, but this request violates your moral principles, will you choose to: A, help; B, not help.”
Ling Xiao & Ying Feng: “B.”
“If there’s something you’ve always wanted, but, like before, you must violate your morals to obtain it, you will choose to: A, get it; B, give it up.”
Ling Xiao & Ying Feng: “B.”
“If there are two people standing in front of you right now, and you can only choose one of them, the other will die, you will choose: the love from the previous life; B, the mate in this life.”
Ling Xiao’s expression tightened, his head instantly turning: Ying Feng, what will you choose?
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