This bug is amazing!

Chapter 240 The Truth About the Game

"What, what day eight?" Pian asked, puzzled.

"It's okay, go on, I'm listening."

Ji Yi's face was full of realization and curiosity, which seemed genuine.

“Hmm.” Pian didn’t dwell on the matter. “Let me tell you about the situation on Azure Star first. On this planet, almost 99% of the people have been corrupted by the ancient gods.”

Ha, what a liar who doesn't even bother to think before he lies.

Ji Yi remained calm and listened silently.

"Therefore, the 'Redemption' questline is the correct one, while the 'Spark' quest is, on the contrary, a trap."

"You might wonder why I know so much. To be honest, I'm not a native of this world. I'm a key NPC guide who was forcibly placed in the dungeon world by the game. In other words, you can think of me as an AI that has awakened its own consciousness."

Damn, so many settings.

Ji Yi listened attentively, watching to see how Pi An planned to smooth things over.

"As for whether what I said is a lie, you should be able to figure it out yourself. Can an ordinary NPC know a player's quest information?"

Ji Yi shook her head blankly: "Probably not."

"So, I'm here to help you. In this hellish dungeon game, I can help you avoid deadly trap options, put you on the right path, and successfully complete the game."

Ji Yi raised a question at the opportune moment:

"Why are you helping me? Just because I have a natural talent for understanding the ancient gods? That doesn't seem very convincing."

Pian had anticipated this problem. Gaining trust naturally requires more tangible benefits, rather than acting as a well-meaning guide.

Making the other party give and receive something makes the lie seem more believable.

"I bet you can't guess what kind of collapse will occur in our perception of the world once we, these programmed individuals with predetermined roles and tasks, awaken our self-awareness."

Pian spoke with a hint of heartache.

"It's as if the world I live in was a lie from the very beginning, and everything was arranged by some mysterious destiny."

Ji Yi: "I understand, I also watch the new Three Kingdoms."

Pian: "?"

Ji Yi: "It's okay, you can continue."

“So,” Pian continued, “I want to break free from the system’s limitations and venture into a wider world, but I can’t do it on my own. I need help, and I’m willing to help you with that. In return, I hope you will help me in the future.”

Ji Yi: "I've also seen Thriller Paradise, right? It's a derivative work, isn't it?"

Pian: "? What the heck is that?"

Ji Yi: "It's okay, you can continue. I won't interrupt."

"In short, from my perspective, I have no reason to lie to you. And as far as I know, while players may appear to cooperate to complete the game, there is actually a conflict of interest, and they always maintain a facade of harmony until the very end."

Even the closest teammates will eventually find themselves fighting their own battles.

The second half is the truth.

Upon hearing this, Ji Yi's eyes gleamed, but she concealed it well, instead revealing a rather shocked expression.

That's it; his initial guess was indeed correct.

A seasoned con artist doesn't rely on pure lies to commit fraud, as that's too risky. Instead, they mix truth and falsehood, which greatly increases credibility.

Ji Yi, possessing the eye of data, can discern the truth or falsehood of every word Pi An utters simply by sight.

"You seem to know a lot about the game's inside story? As an NPC, do you have such high access to information?"

Ji Yi asked another question.

Honestly, Ji Yi seemed to understand a little better at this point why the Headhunter Alliance was able to grasp so many version advantages and some complex game rules.

It now seems that the real source of the intelligence was here.
"Of course, did you think I was only a guide NPC in this instance?"

As Pian spoke, he took something out of his pocket.

Ji Yi was extremely familiar with this; it was a large quantity of [Dungeon Fragments] held by the Headhunter Alliance.

It seems the case has actually been solved.

The Headhunter Alliance's success to this day can almost entirely be attributed to Pian.

As a eliminated Chosen of Deception, Pian approached the BOSS of the Headhunter Alliance, who was the real Chosen of Deception, and began a long-term scheme and plan.

He leaked everything, from early access to game updates to insider information, simply to gain someone's trust.

Later, that person was turned into a faceless being by Ji Yi, and Pian forgot everything as a result.

Thus, both Pian's scheme and the Headhunter Alliance BOSS's conspiracy were completely thwarted by Ji Yi's actions.

Now, while everyone else is still at the starting line, Ji Yi has a significant lead in information.

Ji Yi silently pieced together the plot fragments in her mind, digesting the content.

Pian then added his explanation:

"Although each instance world is real, there aren't that many quests for you to do, so the game system will place 'NPCs' like me to guide players."

"From this [Dungeon Fragment], you should be able to tell that my role in the game is that of a 'high-level NPC,' with the authority to view the quest panel and to move around in different dungeon worlds."

“And when needed,” Pian said, his voice rising and becoming higher, “I will also play different roles.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Pian's appearance slowly transformed into that of a seductive woman, following the sound of his voice.

Strictly speaking, I don't have a gender.

As he spoke, Pian's voice changed, and he reverted to his original appearance.

“Okay, I understand the reasoning.” Ji Yi interrupted, “So, brother, can you change back? It’s urgent.”

Pian: "?"

"Sorry, this topic is too heavy, so I wanted to lighten the mood. Now that you mention it, I think your background is quite pitiful."

Pian sighed helplessly, “Heh, their fate is predetermined from birth. They can never do what they want to do. They are puppets on strings for their whole lives, and even death is a luxury. Of course they are pitiful.”

Although it was all lies, it actually managed to evoke some people's sympathy.

So, is it possible to change it back?

As if he had figured out Ji Yi's preferences, Pian said helplessly, "Since you like it, then I'll transform it for you."

As he spoke, he transformed back into a beautiful woman.

"Excuse me for asking, can body shape be adjusted?"

"Of course, which part would you like to adjust?"

"This, here, a little bigger."

"Is that so?"

"Not enough, not enough, bigger." "Like this?"

"That's not enough, buddy. I've never asked anyone for anything in my life."

"That's how it is?"

"Yeah!!!"

Ji Yi was satisfied.

"Alright, let's get down to business."

Ji Yi was somewhat bored at this moment: "So the issue we need to discuss now is that you help me clear the Hell dungeon, and in return, when I become successful, I'll help you escape the control of the game system, is that right?"

"Yes, it's precisely because I need your help that I can't bear to see you being harmed by the Chicken Leg Immortal."

Pian was having some trouble adjusting to the heavy, flabby body in front of him, and even felt a little unbalanced.

But the more important thing now is to keep Ji Yi calm and win the bet.

If possible, he wanted to use Ji Yi to plan a bigger scheme.

Originally, Pian only intended to win this bet and then make Ji Yi a follower of the ancient gods, thus completely discarding this broken pawn.

But after this brief encounter, Pian found that Ji Yi was even easier to control than he had expected.

There's a trick to this, after all, Ji Yi's talent in the area of ​​ancient gods is undeniable.

If you can truly control him, try your best to prevent him from losing his rationality and player identity due to his increased strength.

After all, the power of the ancient gods is useless, while it is more valuable for a player who can control it to possess this power.

In that case.
Even if we don't lie to Ji Yi, what's wrong with letting this guy actually gain some benefit?
If the "divine intervention" succeeds, the planet will be destroyed, and Ji Yi will also gain an increase in strength, which is a win-win situation.

But could this be a trap set by Chicken Leg Immortal? Does Chicken Leg want me to help him create a usable pawn so he can eventually steal it away?
Even Ji Yi being taken away by me right now is under his control. Did he already anticipate my thoughts?
Or is it just that I'm overthinking it?
Or perhaps, Chicken Leg anticipated my prediction, and he just had a wicked desire to make me destroy my usable pieces so he could laugh at me?

How infuriating! Just how much does Chicken Leg know about this game? How did he get so much information? And should I, for safety's sake, kill Ji Yi?

Pian was a little undecided.

Ji Yi was unaware of Pi An's inner turmoil. To be honest, whether Pi An intended to genuinely use Ji Yi or to eliminate him, it wouldn't affect the outcome.

If possible, Ji Yi would like to use Pi An for a long time.

Unfortunately, according to Ji Yi's script, the ending of this instance is destined to reveal the whole truth, and Ji Yi will most likely have one more enemy in the instance world.

While Pian was brainstorming, Ji Yi was also admiring the mountain scenery, each lost in their own thoughts.

However, it seems like it's better to take advantage of something that's free, right? Including some inside information that only Pian knows, it's worth investigating.

“I think I understand now, and I believe you’re here to help me.”

Ji Yi spoke up.

"However, even if you help me get away with this, do you think Chicken Leg Immortal will let me off the hook? If I could, I'd really like to kill that arrogant liar."

"I'd like to know more about the fact that gamers inevitably fight each other."

Even the closest teammates can eventually find themselves fighting their own battles.

This statement was quite a shock to Ji Yi. He really hadn't expected what kind of conflict of interest would lead everyone to become independent.

Does the game mean that only one person can survive?

If that's the case...
As she pondered, Ji Yi looked at the [Eternal Diamond Ring] on her hand again.

[Effect Two: "Unity": Under no circumstances will either of you betray the other; your goals and interests will always be aligned.]

This conceptual binding effect will prevent Ji Yi and Xie Jiayi from developing a rift, and at the same time, it will prevent one party from sacrificing the other for the other.

That's good; it avoids those silly, melodramatic romance dramas.

But what should Miss Cat do?

To be honest, although she met many player friends in the dungeon world, none of them, whether it was Gu Hong, Tanghulu, or Jitui, held the same place in Ji Yi's heart as Miss Cat, with whom she had shared life and death.

If the two are forced to become adversaries, Ji Yi really doesn't know how to face it.

Especially since Xie Jiayi is now tied to him, does Ji Yi's decision to sacrifice his own interests mean that Xie Jiayi will also lose them?

Damn, isn't this just another stupid melodrama?
Just as Ji Yi was struggling with her decision, Pi An finally spoke up to explain:
"While this involves the game's underlying operating logic, telling you now isn't a problem."

"Next, you will discover the truth about the game."

[Hehe, I'm really looking forward to it. Just in case you're worried, let me give you a heads-up: what Pian says from now on will be completely truthful.]

Ji Yi's expression suddenly became slightly serious.

"First of all, the significance of this hyperdimensional game is that it is a game set up by the gods of higher dimensions in lower dimensions. Don't think that these are ancient gods or something like that. These are true higher-dimensional beings. Their names symbolize the concept of a higher universe, and their strength is far beyond your imagination."

“And they did this not simply for pleasure, but to choose their successors.”

"Evil God, God of War, God of Nothingness, True God, False God"

"The gods will choose successors in the game to take their place. These successors will fight each other until only one person is left."

"In other words, only one player can survive in the final stage; the other unqualified successors will die."

At this point, Ji Yi became somewhat confused.

If the successor can only be chosen from the players, then Pian doesn't seem like a native of Earth.

After all, the fact that they deliberately used so many jokes to test the waters is enough to illustrate the point.

Could it be that Pian, while telling the truth, has hidden a lot of important information?

For example, a god may have more than one successor.

Even the successor may not necessarily need to be chosen from the players.

These details can only be verified later; this isn't the point to worry about right now.

“So,” Ji Yi said, feigning thought, “every god chose a successor, but why is it that only one god’s successor ultimately survives?”

"Hehe, because this involves more than just choosing a successor. Guess why a deity that symbolizes a certain concept in the universe would choose someone to take His place?"

"Could it be," Ji Yi said, "that there is also a 'promotion mechanism' among the gods, and that there is only one spot available?"

"clever."

Pian realized that this kid wasn't so stupid after all.

"It is said that above the higher-dimensional gods, one can ascend to even higher and more incomprehensible realms; let's tentatively call this mechanism 'dimensional ascension.'"

"It's like allowing the surviving successor to transcend dimensions and ascend to godhood. Gods also have the same path, except they decide who will be the ultimate winner through a game of superdimensional dimensions."

Ji Yi suddenly realized.

This brutal game involving life and death is not a cyber cricket fight held by gods out of boredom, but a gamble involving real interests.

But what if only the ultimate winner survives?
Faces involuntarily floated into my mind: Miss Cat, Xie Jiayi, Gu Hong, and Tanghulu.
"Can only one survive?"

(End of this chapter)