Just as the backup arrived, the scene transformed into a whirlwind of activity. Soldiers, armed and vigilant, spread out around the building, securing the perimeter and ensuring the safety of everyone present.
Medical personnel tended to the injured, while others began the process of evacuating the site.
Lin Xiao watched the organized chaos, his mind still racing with the events that had unfolded. Li Jing approached him, her expression one of concern mixed with relief.
"You should go home and rest, Lin Xiao," she said gently. "You've done more than enough for today."
Lin Xiao wanted to stay and tell her about his suspicions regarding Wang Lei, but he wasn't sure how to broach the subject without sounding paranoid.
He glanced at the imposter, noting that he didn't seem to pose an immediate threat. With the backup present, it was nearly impossible for him to escape.
"Alright," Lin Xiao agreed reluctantly. "I'll head home."
As he left the scene, he cast one last glance at Wang Lei, still unsure of what to make of the situation.
The ride back home was quiet, his thoughts a jumble of confusion and worry.
When he arrived, he realized that only thirty minutes had passed since he had left. Despite feeling like he had spent hours inside the dungeon, it had only been a short time in reality.
Mother Lin greeted him warmly. "You're back early. Would you like some dinner?"
Lin Xiao shook his head. "No, thanks. I'm not feeling hungry."
He attributed his lack of appetite to the stress of the day's events, though he also wondered if it had something to do with allocating skill points to strength.
Xiao Bai and Lil'blackie, on the other hand, were clearly hungry. He fed them quickly before heading to his room.
As he lay down on his bed, exhaustion washed over him. The mysteries of the dungeon, the strange library, and the imposter weighed heavily on his mind.
He knew he needed to rest, but his thoughts kept circling back to the same questions.
Would the earthquake predicted in the library occur as expected, confirming the future he had seen? How could he verify Wang Lei's true identity without revealing his system? And what did the future hold for him and his cats?
With a deep sigh, Lin Xiao opened up the system interface and decided to check out the game section he had just unlocked.
He saw that the game free this week was a strange-looking one that seemed like a hitman-type game. Curious, Lin Xiao clicked on it, and a prompt appeared:
[Would you like to play this game? Yes/No]
[This Game Difficulty is 1 star, The Free Mission name is "Dead Manor"]
Lin Xiao clicked on Yes, and suddenly a VR headset materialized in front of him. Startled, he exclaimed, "Damn, is it a VR game?"
He put on the VR headset, and Instantly, he was transported to an immersive character creation menu.
The options were staggering. He could customize everything from the character's height and build to the smallest facial features like the shape of the eyebrows and the distance between the eyes.
Hairstyles ranged from sleek, modern cuts to wild, fantastical styles. He could choose skin tones, eye colors, and even the texture of the character's clothing. The sheer number of options made Lin Xiao feel both overwhelmed and impressed.
Feeling too lazy to go through each option meticulously, Lin Xiao decided to press the random button. A unique character was generated almost instantly. He saw he could even choose the skills of the character, this random character had [Combat Mastery], [Gun Mastery], and [Bullet Time] on him.
The character had striking blue eyes, a rugged build, and a mysterious air about him. Satisfied, Lin Xiao pressed the start game button.
Another prompt appeared: [Please name your character and Guild Name].
For the character's name, he quickly decided on "White Knight," inspired by Xiao Bai. When it came to the guild name, Lin Xiao was less certain. After a moment of thought, he decided to go with something unusual and memorable, settling on "Divine Clock."
The game world materialized around him, vivid and lifelike. Lin Xiao found himself standing in front of a grand manor. It was night, and the manor was lit up with an array of lights, giving it an almost magical aura. High-end cars were parked in neat rows, indicating that a luxurious party was in full swing inside.
A prompt appeared before Lin Xiao, detailing his mission objectives:
Objective 1: Kill the host of the party.
Objective 2: Protect Riene Voender.
Feeling a surge of excitement, Lin Xiao began to survey the manor through his character's eyes. He noticed the various luxury cars, each more opulent than the last, and waiters standing at the entrance, greeting the guests with polite smiles.
Off to one side, a broken-down car caught his attention. An arrogant man was berating and physically assaulting the driver. Near the entrance, a security guard, who seemed slightly inebriated, was making his way inside the manor.
Deciding to test his options, Lin Xiao approached the security guard. A menu popped up with several choices:
[1. Tell him you forgot your invitation.]
[2. Beat him up: "How dare you ask me for an invitation?"]
[3. Tell him your father owns this manor.]
[3. Give him $10: "Here's my invitation."]
Unsure of the best approach, Lin Xiao decided to try the third option. As he selected it, his character confidently stated, "My father owns this manor."
Unexpectedly, the security guard's eyes widened in alarm, and he shouted, "There's an intruder!" Before Lin Xiao could react, his character was shot down by hidden guards. The screen faded to black, and a prompt appeared:
[Game Over. Would you like to Restart? Yes/No].
Lin Xiao was taken aback. "Why did they shoot me? I just said a sentence!" he muttered in disbelief.
Lin Xiao was feeling motivated, he wanted to complete this game.
Lin Xiao selected "Yes" to restart. He found himself back at the entrance of the manor, with the same vibrant scene unfolding before him. This time, he decided to take a more cautious approach.
He approached the security guard again, but instead of the previous bold option, he chose the first one: "Tell him you forgot your invitation."
"Hey, I seem to have left my invitation at home," his character said with a nervous chuckle.
The security guard squinted at him, then shook his head. "No entry without an invitation, sorry," he said firmly.
Lin Xiao felt a flicker of annoyance and saw more options appear:
[1. Beat Him Up: "How dare you deny me access."]
[2. Act Like you didn't hear him and just walk past him.]
[3. Retreat and think of some other plan.]
Realizing brute force might not be the best approach given his last experience, Lin Xiao decided to play it smart. He selected the third option: Retreat and think of some other plan.
His character took a few steps back, blending into the shadows near the edge of the party's perimeter. From this vantage point, Lin Xiao began to reassess the situation.