Chu Xuan's third revelation was far more shocking than the first two combined. Everyone stared at him in stunned silence, their gazes filled with indescribable intensity. Understandably so—after experiencing such life-threatening horror, no matter how disillusioned they were with the real world, they would undoubtedly yearn to return to it rather than continue suffering in this endless terror.
Zheng Zha looked puzzled. He fixed his gaze on Chu Xuan and cautiously said,"You're always calculating something. I can't help but suspect you've got another scheme... Speak up. What's your method for returning to the real world?"
Chu Xuan smiled faintly."I'm not forcing you to do anything. Whether to return to the real world is entirely up to you. Zhang Jie, I suspect you haven't carefully reviewed the details of exchanging for additional days of life, have you? Yesterday, I looked into it closely and found that you can exchange not only for extra days in the horror movie worlds we've been through but also for time back in the real world."
Zhang Jie snorted derisively."You think that's news? Anyone with 50,000 reward points can go back permanently. Do you think any of us have 50,000 points? Mocking people like this isn't funny."
Chu Xuan glanced at him and replied,"Did I ever say it was about a permanent return? When you exchange for days in a specific world, a record is created. That record tracks the horror worlds you've been to: A Nightmare on Elm Street 1, Scream 2, Final Destination 1, Resident Evil 1, and Alien 1. Besides these horror worlds, there's another one recorded—our real world."
Zhang Jie's face turned ashen when he heard those titles. He muttered,"Damn it... those are all the movies I've been through. How could they be recorded? What about the earlier records?"
Chu Xuan shook his head."There are no earlier records, likely deleted by the'God' system. After all, you're the only one here who's survived five movies. That record is probably linked to you. But that's not the key point. The key is that we can open any recorded horror world—including the real world. Once a world is opened, we can enter it at will. This includes the real world, which is the focus of what I'm saying!"
"You can use one D-level side mission to open a recorded horror world. However, exchanging for days in those worlds costs five times the normal amount. That's 50 reward points per day, a significant price. In other words, to return to the real world temporarily, two conditions must be met: one D-level side mission and a substantial amount of reward points. Both are essential."
Everyone fell silent. Zhang Jie had already explained the rarity of side missions. Without the enhancements from internal energy and the vampire bloodline, Zheng Zha wouldn't have survived Alien 1. Side missions were literally life-saving. Who would risk using one lightly? On top of that, the exorbitant reward point cost made the idea of returning to the real world for a few days seem extravagantly wasteful.
Chu Xuan observed their silence and shook his head."I'm not suggesting anyone waste reward points or side missions. In reality, having at least one of us return to the real world temporarily is crucial. I wonder if you've considered the nature of this space. I've come up with two theories. One, only our mental bodies enter this world while our physical bodies remain in front of the computer. Two, both our minds and bodies are transported here. You've probably learned from your companions that no matter how much time we spend in the horror movies, we always return here after one day and one night—or after death. In other words,'God' can control the flow of time across different dimensions. It's truly..."
"God-like." Chu Xuan searched for the right words and murmured,"The ability to control time and space, create independent worlds, and generate lifelike beings. The only word I can think of is'God.' This is what makes this so important. If only our mental bodies are transported here, then all the enhancements we receive are illusions, like in a virtual reality. This would also explain the otherwise impossible occurrences. However, this means our physical bodies might be in a vegetative state back in the real world, at risk of being destroyed if left unchecked."
"Of course, if both our minds and bodies are here, then this is truly the realm of God. No matter how absurd things seem, they are plausible in this space. In that case, the enhancements—those so-called body modifications—represent infinite possibilities for human evolution. If we survive, we might one day become Gods ourselves!"
Zheng Zha rubbed his temples and said,"Becoming Gods feels like a stretch. I think I get your point, though. If our minds and bodies are here together, there's no need to worry about what's happening in the real world. But if it's just our mental bodies, not only can we not bring anything back, but our physical bodies might also be in danger. That's what you're getting at?"
Chu Xuan snapped his fingers."Exactly. So, my suggestion is that we send one person back to the real world, even if only for a day, to verify whether we're here as mental bodies or in full. This concerns our very survival. What do you all think?"
Zheng Zha exchanged glances with the others, who nodded in agreement with Chu Xuan's reasoning. Zheng Zha sighed and said,"I don't have any solid evidence, but it still feels like you're plotting something, like leading us into a trap... no, an open scheme. You're always so direct that we end up having to follow your logic. So, do you think I should be the one to go back to the real world?"
Chu Xuan nodded calmly, but Zhang Jie objected."Hey, Chu Xuan, why does it have to be Zheng Zha who takes the hit? If it weren't for him, we'd all be dead by now. Zheng Zha, how many reward points did you spend on repairing your body? You shouldn't have to take the loss alone. How about we pool together some points and get you some gear to make up for it?"
Zheng Zha smiled at Zhang Jie."That won't be necessary. I got 3,000 reward points for killing the Queen. After deducting the repair cost, I still have plenty left. As for why it should be me—well, I'm the only one here with internal energy and the vampire bloodline enhancements. If I go back, I can verify whether the enhancements work in the real world. Also, compared to you all, I need side missions the least. You need them more urgently to strengthen yourselves. So if anyone should go, it's me."
The decision was made. After agreeing on the plan, the group pooled their points to outfit Zheng Zha. He ended up with a modern bulletproof vest, a pair of shock-absorbing boots, a compact submachine gun, and a high-frequency particle-cutting knife. The latter, a near-futuristic weapon worth over 600 reward points, was gifted by Chu Xuan, raising Zheng Zha's suspicions about his intentions even further. He couldn't shake the feeling that Chu Xuan was scheming something.
That evening, they gathered at Zhang Jie's place for a feast. The table was laden with luxurious dishes, prepared with unmatched culinary skill by the classical beauty. Even the usually stoic Chu Xuan ate voraciously, more so than anyone else.
After dinner, the group decided to meet at the plaza the next morning at 10 a.m. to see Zheng Zha off. The mere idea of returning to the real world, even briefly, was a near-unattainable hope for them. Compared to the horrors of the movies, mundane reality was a paradise.
The next morning, the group assembled at the plaza. Zheng Zha stood with his eyes closed, communicating with the"God" system. After a moment, he opened his eyes and looked at his spatial ring. The others were puzzled until Chu Xuan asked calmly,"Did you exchange for something to store in your ring?"
"Yes," Zheng Zha replied with a wry smile."I exchanged for one cubic meter of platinum. My family isn't wealthy, and my parents rely on their pensions to get by. If I can bring this back, it'll serve as their retirement fund. And Lier's parents—after paying for her medical treatments, their finances are in shambles. At least I can give them some relief... I have to try."
He gripped Lori's hand tightly, his determination evident. With everything packed—ammo, gear, platinum, and Lori herself—he closed his eyes and initiated the exchange. In an instant, his surroundings changed. When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing in a small office—his workplace in the real world.
Beside him, Lori stood teary-eyed but smiling, their hands still tightly clasped, never letting go.