Mini World Game Console

Ren Suo tried again and found that besides the NPCs marked with red frames, he could control others as well.

However, compared to the red-framed NPCs, controlling other NPCs required many more Merit Points, and the options were limited, mostly being: "Approach the Rebel (consume 10 Merit Points)" and "Stay away from the Rebel (consume 10 Merit Points)."

Among the NPCs that could influence the Rebel, the required Merit Points varied. Besides the 'Reversed Female Demon,' there were other characters like the 'Romantic White Bishop' and the 'Temperance Female Knight' who could also affect the Rebel, but the Merit Points they required were extremely low, or even non-existent, which was quite a bargain.

Ren Suo clicked on the Female Demon, ordering her to "Attack the Rebel." Then, a dialogue box popped up above her head:

"I cannot be just, my intentions cannot be clear, my actions cannot be revealed; the good I do must be hidden behind malice, and sincerity must be wrapped in ruthlessness. I will never vie for such shallow and vulgar things, always proud and free, mocking the world... So, Rebel, you'd better enjoy this kindness!"

The Female Demon went outside the toilet, and Ren Suo chose to have the Rebel investigate the toilet door. Sure enough, the Rebel started to move again, trying to leave quickly.

But at that moment, the Female Demon aggressively closed in!

The Female Demon launched an Attack on the Rebel: "Sincere Malice"!

The Rebel couldn't Move, 9s remaining!

The Rebel's Determination Value increased!

At this point, an Energy Slot appeared on the left side of the screen, and the blue Energy representing the Rebel's Determination Value increased slightly.

Ren Suo read the description: "Determination Value represents the protagonist's enlightenment. When it is high enough, there will be no gap between the Player and the protagonist."

What does that mean?

Then, Ren Suo heard a prompt through his headphones: "If the Determination Value is high enough, the protagonist will no longer resist the Player's instructions."

Ren Suo was startled by the headphones. He took them off for a closer look, only recalling after a moment that these 'Listening Headphones' also had the effect of 'hearing' more about the game's settings. But since the Listening Headphones had previously only enhanced the "Desire Detection" Ability, Ren Suo hadn't remembered it immediately.

Good grief, Ren Suo thought to himself, is this Rebel such a masochist? Does he only work after being whipped?

However, while Ren Suo was studying the data on Determination Value, the Rebel's Binding duration expired, and he brazenly launched an Attack on the Female Demon!

The Rebel Attacked the Female Demon: "Verbal Deception"!

The Female Demon Dodged and responded with a mocking smile.

The Rebel used a Skill on the Female Demon: "Kneeling Plea"!

The Female Demon, beguiled by the Rebel, temporarily listened to his orders.

The Rebel's Determination Value decreased.

Then Ren Suo saw the Female Demon being led away from the banquet hall by the Rebel. During this time, he couldn't even control the Female Demon!

"It seems the Rebel's Skills have higher priority..." Ren Suo mused. "And I can't give the Rebel any openings. I have to completely suppress him in one go."

Ren Suo stroked his chin. He hadn't lost any Merit Points this time—ordering the Female Demon's action had triggered the "Plucking Feathers from a Flying Goose" effect, reducing its Merit Point cost by 10. On the contrary, he finally saw a glimmer of hope for clearing the stage, and his spirits lifted. Time to try again!

This time, at the start, Ren Suo chose to use the 'Romantic White Emperor' to influence the Rebel. The White Emperor looked like a noble in a white robe, surrounded by a ring of pixelated Paper People who appeared to be young ladies (or so Ren Suo assumed). After clicking the White Emperor, a speech bubble also appeared above his head: (The Rebel seems to have gone to the toilet...)

Why on earth is everyone so focused on the Rebel going to the toilet? Ren Suo wondered.

The White Emperor also had three options, though slightly different from those of the Female Demon: "Go chat with the Rebel," "Invite the Rebel to dine together (consumes 1 Merit Point)," and "Attack the Rebel (consumes 5 Merit Points)."

Ren Suo unhesitatingly chose the third option to test it. After all, he had just cleared "Midnight Walker" and "High Energy Ahead" without spending much. While funds might be tight for purchasing new games, he was more than adept when it came to regular Krypton Gold spending.

Then he saw the White Emperor step away from a profusion of flowers, muttering to himself:

"I am the eternal snow on the summit that never thaws, the Cold Ice under the glacier that no one can touch, the deepest shade in the night. But eventually, the snow will meet the warm spring, the Cold Ice will confront global warming, and even the depth of night once Flickered with fireflies... So, Rebel, feel my chilly warmth!"

Immediately afterward, the White Emperor dashed into the restroom. An Emperor should be male by name, so of course, he didn't need to wait outside like the Female Demon, Ren Suo thought.

The White Emperor Attacked the Rebel: "Romantic Frost"!

The Rebel was completely Bound, 14s remaining!

The Rebel's Determination Value decreased!

The Rebel's Determination Value hit rock bottom, unable to recover!

"Wait, wait, wait—" Ren Suo rubbed his eyes. "Why is the Determination Value decreasing this time? And it hit rock bottom, unable to recover! What is this, the stock market?"

And without Ren Suo needing to spend any more Merit Points, the White Emperor continued to Attack the Rebel relentlessly, conjuring a heart-shaped block of white ice to smash the Rebel into a daze.

Before long, the Rebel was completely unable to Move. Then, the White Emperor actually just picked up the Rebel (their character models overlapping), and they discreetly left together!

A system prompt popped up:

"The Rebel has been taken by the White Emperor. Mission failed."

"So the White Emperor can just snatch the Rebel away..." Ren Suo was too drained to complain further. "What kind of bizarre game setting is this, where the option costing the most Krypton Gold directly leads to mission failure?"

This time, Ren Suo didn't immediately restart the game but entered a brainstorming session.

Undoubtedly, the real gameplay involves the Player controlling other NPC characters to influence the protagonist. Within these NPC characters' available actions, only a very small fraction are free options that don't consume Merit Points. I don't even need to test them to know that relying solely on free options definitely won't make the Rebel compliant.

As for whether the game can be cleared without spending Krypton Gold, I'm unsure. If it were a previous game, I might have mustered the Courage inherent to an Ashes Level Player and declared, 'I can clear this game without spending a dime!' Those games had mission evaluation systems, making it entirely possible for Players to clear them without any Krypton Gold, perhaps with the lowest mission rating—the simplest way—or by equipping the game's protagonist with powerful Skills to directly boost their strength.

But this time is different. This bizarre, merged game has no mission evaluation system whatsoever. Clearing a level means obtaining all rewards, but conversely, this might mean that clearing it at all represents the highest difficulty.

As for Strengthening the protagonist, the prerequisite is that the protagonist has to be compliant. Right now, the protagonist isn't. If I were to Strengthen him now, would I just be trying to make the Rebel run even faster? Even if I wanted to dress the Rebel in a cute little skirt, I'd first have to make him completely compliant. Otherwise, if putting on the skirt caused his Determination Value to plummet, I'd have to start all over again.

So, spending Krypton Gold is a definite necessity. As long as the total Krypton Gold spent throughout the entire process doesn't exceed 100 Merit Points, I think it's still acceptable. At least with a 100% return, it's worth grinding for.

Returning to the concept of 'influencing the protagonist through NPCs,' the White Emperor's actions clearly showed that not all 'high-priced' actions yield high returns. The White Emperor further proved that I might just be wasting my money.

So why did making the White Emperor Attack the Rebel cost as much as 5 Merit Points? That's a one-time expense; restarting the game means spending it again. If not for my "Plucking Feathers from a Flying Goose," I would definitely feel the pinch.

I can think of three reasons:

1. The stronger the Player's interference, the more Merit Points it consumes. The White Emperor chatting with the Rebel was completely free, which might indicate he intended to do it anyway. As for making the White Emperor Attack the Rebel, while it might also have been his desire—his monologue before the Attack suggested he was excited—perhaps he wasn't in a hurry to act, or only had a vague inclination. The Player's action, then, was to invisibly influence the White Emperor's thoughts. Similarly, the Female Demon might have considered Attacking the Rebel, but compelling her to Attack at that specific moment also required Player influence. She's so aloof that even her willingness to communicate needs to be catalyzed by the Player.

2. I used it incorrectly. The White Emperor's influence on the Rebel was so significant it made his Determination Value hit rock bottom. If used differently, could it perhaps max out the Determination Value instead? So, maybe at a specific moment, or after a certain change in the Rebel, he could perfectly withstand or even absorb the White Emperor's Attack. Only then, having the White Emperor Attack the Rebel might turn the 'plummeting' effect into a 'skyrocketing' one.

3. This option is just like the one in "High Energy Ahead" that tricks the adventurer into cross-dressing—purely for fooling the Player and for achievement hunting.

After noting down his questions and somewhat clarifying his thoughts, Ren Suo felt he was close to figuring out the correct strategy.

Dawn was breaking outside, but Ren Suo was still full of energy, so he started the game again and continued his attempt to clear it.

The Rebel was still in the bathroom, keeping the toilet company. There must be some kind of fragrance in that bathroom, Ren Suo thought, otherwise, why would a self-aware Rebel willingly stay inside for so long?

This time, Ren Suo turned his attention to the "Temperance Female Knight." Like the Female Demon, she stood at the edge of the banquet hall. However, the Female Demon was near characters like the Lady of Light, surrounded by several others in similar attire who seemed to belong to the same organization. The Female Knight, clad in armor, stood far from the crowd, alone on one side of the hall.

When he clicked on the Female Knight, a dialogue bubble appeared above her head: (The Rebel hasn't come out yet...)

So everyone really *does* know the Rebel is in there taking a dump, Ren Suo thought.

However, the Female Knight had four options available: "Wait for the Rebel to come out and leave with him," "Wait for the Rebel to come out and chat with him (consume 1 Merit Point)," "Attack the Rebel (consume 2 Merit Points)," and "Finish off the Rebel (consume 10 Merit Points)."

The Female Knight's first three options weren't much different from other NPCs'; only the first option was particularly absurd—she actually wants to leave with the Rebel! If they leave, the mission is lost!

But the Female Knight did have a "Finish off the Rebel" option, which made me quite tempted. Perhaps this option could directly max out the Rebel's Determination Value?

Actually, I can't even be bothered to justify my spending Desire anymore. I just want to see how the Female Knight will finish off this Rebel, this wimp who tries to run home the moment he steps outside.

After selecting the "Finish off the Rebel" option, sure enough, the Female Knight also began to monologue:

"Life is a journey of Temperance, a journey of subtraction. Cut off Desires, cut off frailties, cut off Fears, cut off distractions, cut off Demons and Monsters, leaving only the purest True Self. And for those knots you can't cut, those problems you can't untangle, just choose to accept them. Let everything that cannot be severed become part of the True Self... Rebel, are you ready?"

Seeing the Female Knight arrive at the bathroom door, Ren Suo quickly had the Rebel open it.

As soon as the Rebel stepped out, he saw the Female Knight and seemed to sense something was amiss. He tried to flee, but the Female Knight took one step forward, transformed into light, and charged at the Rebel with an aura as majestic as a rainbow!

Of course, the scene described above was just my imagination, Ren Suo admitted to himself. In reality, it was just 25 pixels simultaneously changing their color value to #FFFFFF (white).

The Female Knight launched an Attack on the Rebel: "Final Judgment"!

The Rebel was Intimidated!

The Rebel couldn't Move!

The Rebel, the Rebel… The Rebel was gone! Ren Suo realized. He could only see that the pixels representing the Rebel had completely merged with those of the Female Knight.

At this moment, other NPCs in the banquet hall, including the Female Demon and the White Emperor, seemed to notice something and began walking towards where the Rebel had been.

Then, the merged entity of the Female Knight and the Rebel started to move!

Damn it, it's heading out of the banquet hall again!

And this time it's worse! Before, although the Rebel moved fast, I could at least influence him a bit with the controller. But now that the Rebel has merged with the Female Knight, I've lost all control over him!

Protagonist! Protagonist, what happened to you?! Protagonist, don't die! Protagonist, why are your pixels even gone?!

Does this 'Final Judgment' mean you were eaten by the Female Knight?!

「 」

In a bedroom approximately 57 meters away in a straight line from Ren Suo's, Dong Chengling, who lived in another dormitory building, slowly straightened her back and sat up directly from her bed. When she opened her eyes, she bypassed any grogginess and began her new day full of energy.

Dong Chengling no longer needed to follow up on the subsequent procedures of The Heavenspan Project, and communication with the students' parents was even less her concern.

Next, she only needed to focus on preparing her lessons. Thus, for the past two days, she had returned to her normal rhythm of life: Cultivation, cooking, studying, and working.

When she finished her morning routine and was eating breakfast, the doorbell rang—it was a delivery.

Heavenly Lotus Academy naturally had a delivery station, and faculty members could arrange delivery times via an app. After all, most faculty lived alone and were often not at home. Leaving parcels at the door could be risky. Even though the faculty were generally of high moral character, individuals trusted by both the government and the academy, it was still wise to be cautious and unnecessary to test people's integrity.

Dong Chengling had little free time during the day and needed to concentrate fully during Cultivation. Therefore, she scheduled her delivery times between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM. During this period, after finishing breakfast, she would prepare her teaching plans, making it a rest time when she could be interrupted.

The parcel was from her parents back home, containing agricultural products and condiments that Dong Chengling loved. She had received similar parcels before, so she wasn't particularly surprised.

However, this time, there was also a photo album in the parcel.

When Dong Chengling opened it, most of the photos inside were of her grandfather. Her ever-diligent heart warmed for a moment as she sat on the couch, flipping page by page through her long-buried memories.

There were many photos of her grandfather, and also many of Dong Chengling from her childhood up to the present. Her father had been a photography enthusiast in his school days. Even after marrying her mother, who ran an inn, he never gave up his hobby. In her father's words, he had spent enough money on camera equipment to buy several cars.

Consequently, the photos were not only numerous but also of high quality and exceptionally well-preserved. Dong Chengling watched herself grow up through the progression of photos, while her grandfather, father, and mother aged with each image, wrinkles appearing, their backs stooping, their former beauty and handsomeness fading...

Time is extremely cruel to living beings—after you bloom with life's most radiant splendor at your peak, it forces you to watch helplessly as your beauty fades and your prime years vanish...

When Dong Chengling closed the album, her expression had returned to calm, her eyes showing only composure and Determination.

Finally, Dong Chengling found a letter in the parcel.

She wasn't surprised that a courier delivery was faster than the postal service these days. Upon opening it, she recognized her mother's handwriting.

Her mother hadn't written much, merely informing Dong Chengling that everything back home was fine and nothing amiss had happened. She mentioned they had returned to her grandfather's rented place a couple of days ago to clean it and had found the old photos, so they sent them for their daughter to see.

Dong Chengling immediately felt at ease. She hadn't revealed much about the content of "High Energy Ahead" to her parents, only reminding them to watch the news. Her parents hadn't called either but had subtly indicated that they understood and that no unfortunate incidents had occurred.

Turning the letter over, Dong Chengling saw her mother had written about some neighborhood news:

"Do you still remember your middle school classmate, Xiao Wei? She's scheduled to have her wedding reception on the Mid-Autumn Festival and sent an invitation to our house. However, we know you weren't very close to her, so we didn't accept on your behalf. If you want to attend her wedding banquet, just call and tell me.

"This is your thirteenth classmate to get married. You still remember how Grandpa always used to say he wanted to see you, Xiao Ling, get married with his own eyes... Your father feels the same way. Whenever he's fiddling with his camera, he's always grumbling that he's still missing Xiao Ling's wedding photos..."

Dong Chengling chuckled as she read this. I'm sure Father told Mother to write that part, she thought. No, the whole letter was probably Father's idea. Mother, as I remember her, is a very straightforward person; she wouldn't beat around the bush like this.

However, me in a wedding dress...

Dong Chengling pondered this and couldn't help but smile. "I made my resolutions a long time ago," she murmured. "How could I possibly settle down so soon?"

Of course, I also know that getting married doesn't necessarily mean having to settle down and abandon one's ideals. As long as the partner is someone I can completely connect with, someone I truly like, then all problems will naturally be resolved...

But marriage is such a major life event; even I can't decide on it lightly. Besides, marriage isn't just my affair alone, and as for that guy... who knows...

Even though her parents were starting to urge her, Dong Chengling wasn't in a hurry: she was still young. Moreover, she had long been prepared for a life of solitary Seeking the Path. Her current feelings, if anything, were disrupting the rhythm of her life.

"Well, it all depends on my mood," Dong Chengling said as she casually booted up her computer and continued to refine her Cultivation lesson plans. "Who knows? Maybe I'll suddenly go crazy in the next second?"