Pei Guang, Stelle and March 7th all had bright smiles plastered on their faces, even Herta joined in, clapping along with the group. But for some reason, Silver Wolf still felt like something was amiss.
Their smiles were genuine, full of excitement, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was missing something. Maybe it was because she'd just come out of an intense horror game, but her mind was still swirling, and the strangeness of it all eluded her.
Pei Guang approached Silver Wolf, ready to seal the deal with an interview for the 'victorious' player. "Congrats on your win! So, how did the game feel?"
Silver Wolf pressed her lips together, replaying the nightmarish experience in her head. "Terrifying, absolutely terrifying. It felt like I had no control over anything. If it weren't for the lack of pain, I'd have thought I actually crossed over into the game world. Especially when I was hiding in that box, and the thing got so close… I swear, I could almost feel it breathing. It scared the life out of me."
If it weren't for the exit button and the fact that there was no physical pain, she might have believed she'd really been transported into the game. As for her screams? That was all instinctual. No matter how many games you've played or how advanced technology gets, there's no escaping the primal fear a truly terrifying game can evoke.
Silver Wolf eyed the VR device warily, still a bit shaken. Yet, despite the fear, there was a sense of accomplishment in beating the game. However, looking at Pei Guang and the others, there was an odd feeling she couldn't quite place. Something was off, but her brain was too frazzled to figure out what it was!
Seeing that she was still in good spirits, Pei Guang decided to strike while the iron was hot. "Since you're doing so well, how about we move on to the second game?"
Silver Wolf, still recovering, froze. "Second game? It's not another horror game, is it?"
Pei Guang shook his head. "Of course not! The next one is a simple side-scrolling pixel platformer—nothing scary at all. The rules are easy: whoever clears the game first wins."
Hearing this, Stelle pulled out a gaming console, grinning. "I lost the first game, and I'm not happy about it. This time, I'll make sure you lose big!"
Now that Silver Wolf's nerves had settled, she wasn't about to back down. "You lost the first game, and you'll lose the second one even worse."
Pei Guang smiled knowingly. "Alright then! Silver Wolf, you can use the console Stelle gave you. Don't worry—there's no way for Stelle to cheat. And remember, no cheating! If you try to cheat…"
Silver Wolf sighed dramatically. "Yeah, yeah, I get it! If I cheat, I'll let you do whatever you want with my game accounts!"
She had resigned herself to her fate. Sure, her hacking skills were top-notch, but up against Pei Guang, she felt like a newbie facing off against a max-level pro. If she played fair, Pei Guang would let her enjoy herself, but if she tried anything sneaky, he'd teach her a harsh lesson in what it means to face a real pro.
With Silver Wolf's agreement, Pei Guang introduced the second game. "Alright, open up the console and find 'Cat Mario'. It's a more challenging version of the classic Super Mario games."
Upon hearing that, Stelle chimed in excitedly, "I'll make sure you regret the day you crossed me in this game!"
Hearing Pei Guang's explanation, Silver Wolf quickly opened up the console and found Cat Mario. As the upbeat music played and the game's whimsical white cat character appeared on screen, she couldn't help but find it adorable.
"So cute! It's such a simple design, but it really captures that silly, charming vibe! So, how do you play this game?" Silver Wolf asked.
Pei Guang explained, "You use the arrow keys to move, and the jump button."
Silver Wolf blinked. "And… that's it?"
Pei Guang smiled warmly. "Yup, that's it! This is a side-scrolling puzzle platformer. Unlike the horror game, this one is all about using your brain. Puzzle games are meant to reward players with the joy of solving challenges, rather than wasting their time with complex controls or endless fetch quests."
Silver Wolf's eyes lit up with appreciation. "You're so right! So many puzzle games these days drag things out with unnecessary exploration."
Pei Guang's eyes gleamed with wisdom. "Trust me, I've studied puzzle games deeply. Honestly, I doubt Stelle will even be able to finish it."
Silver Wolf shook her head. "No, she's smarter than she looks. I'd say she's about on par with me, at least in terms of intelligence. If the game is beatable, she'll finish it. But beating me? Not a chance."
Silver Wolf was confident in her skills as a seasoned gamer and genius hacker. She remembered when Stelle was still new to games and had to be guided by her. If Stelle had already lost the first game, there was no way she'd win this one.
Stelle, eyes brimming with determination and a hint of defiance, chimed in. "Let's see about that. How about you give me a ten-minute head start?"
Silver Wolf smirked. "Ten minutes? I could give you a thirty-minute head start, and you still wouldn't win."
Stelle immediately turned to Pei Guang. "Pei Guang, she said I could have thirty minutes!"
Silver Wolf was baffled. Since when had Stelle gotten so sneaky? She used to be much more straightforward. What happened in just a few days?
Pei Guang, not missing a beat, rejected the idea. "No way. Even for someone experienced, this game only takes about twenty minutes to beat. Letting you have a thirty-minute head start would be handing Silver Wolf the loss on a silver platter. Ten minutes, max."
Stelle looked at Silver Wolf, who nodded confidently. "Fine. If it takes about twenty minutes for an experienced player, it'll take you at least two hours for your first time. Ten minutes won't make a difference—I'll still win."
Stelle grabbed the console, starting the game while muttering to herself, "You're going to see how good I really am. Pei Guang, keep an eye on her so she doesn't peek at my progress."
Meanwhile, Silver Wolf sighed, realizing she didn't care much about winning or losing. She was just genuinely curious about what kind of game Pei Guang had cooked up. A pure puzzle platformer with pixel graphics was quite rare in this era.
The last time she had played a pixelated puzzle game, she had thoroughly enjoyed it. And now, getting to experience a new one? There was no way she wasn't going to dive in!
As for cheating? Even if Pei Guang wasn't watching, Silver Wolf had no intention of peeking at Stelle's game. Stelle was too easy to beat—most games she could defeat her with one hand tied behind her back.
Stelle, meanwhile, had retreated to a corner to play. She clearly remembered Pei Guang's plan. Winning wasn't the point; the goal was to let Silver Wolf experience the true joy of the game.
Although Stelle wasn't keen on pushing herself in horror games, she couldn't help but be intrigued by the goofy charm of Cat Mario. However, after only ten minutes of playing, her expression had grown serious.
"No wonder Pei Guang warned me…" she muttered to herself.
Stelle finally understood why Pei Guang had told her to just mess around and not take the game too seriously. The game was infuriating! In just ten minutes, her anger was already bubbling up.
The game itself wasn't difficult, but it was designed to mess with the player. Unexpected traps were placed everywhere, exploiting the blind spots in a person's natural thinking process. Even a highly responsive AI would be tripped up by the game's mechanics!
"Alright, let's just take it easy," Stelle sighed.
Pei Guang had hammered it into Stelle's head before that the trick to handling his games was to relax. If you felt the need to win, play seriously. But if winning wasn't your priority, just switch to another game and have fun.
With that in mind, Stelle began browsing through the games on the console and eventually found Super Mario.
"Hm… I remember Pei Guang saying the rest of these games are normal. Maybe I'll give this a try," she said to herself, starting up Super Mario instead.