After dealing with the Sphinx, Zhang Heng found a little yellow bike and rode back to school.
He had no choice. Whether it was the subway or a taxi, it would be very awkward to stop at certain times, especially on the subway. The feeling of being locked in the carriage was the worst, and his Polo was not with him.
Therefore, Zhang Heng could only choose this low-carbon and environmentally friendly mode of transportation, contributing to the city's pollution control.
There were fewer vehicles and pedestrians on the streets in the early hours of the morning. Because everything was still, the streetlights projected beams of light on the ground, looking like a stage play that was about to begin. Zhang Heng shuttled back and forth like an actor on a stage.
In fact, his recent life was similar to that of an actor. Because of the time bug, his gaming time was often several times longer than others. Every round of the quest was more like a part of his life. From a nameless deserted island to the distant Caribbean Sea, to the hazy London of the 19th century and the bloody Kyoto at the end of the Bakumatsu, he played different roles in different quests.
To this day, the total time he spent in all the quests had exceeded his age.
Sometimes, when Zhang Heng opened his eyes in bed, he would be in a trance, not knowing where he was or where his next journey would take him.
He was a NASA astronaut, the pirate king of Nassau, a geek from the future, and a ronin who lingered in Kyoto … The bartender lady once said that experience and learning made us who we are today. Although it had been less than a year since he joined this magical and mysterious game, he was now a completely different person from a year ago.
These changes were not just a series of high-level skills displayed in his skill bar, or the strange game items with different functions. It was also a dialogue between self-growth and the depths of his soul.
Every round of the quest, every choice, brought him closer to his true self.
Now, however, Zhang Heng felt more and more unfamiliar with his real self.
The bicycle stopped in front of a stationery store, and Zhang Heng saw his reflection on the glass door. As early as a few months ago, he discovered the changes in his face. Although it looked no different from before, if he looked closely, he would still find a vague sense of awkwardness. At that time, it wasn't too obvious. It wasn't until after the Deductive Reasoning quest that Zhang Heng's observation skills reached a new level, and he could finally see where the awkwardness came from.
His skin, facial features, eyebrows, and hair were all the same as before, except for one thing that was becoming increasingly rare — emotions.
Zhang Heng had a brief chat with Shen Xixi before. As the game progressed deeper, players would begin to divide. Under the threat of death, they would slowly unravel the shackles imposed on them by civilized society, unleash their true nature, and gradually see the desires in their hearts. However, what Zhang Heng saw in the process was a fog, a fog of nothingness.
Behind the fog, something seemed to be waiting for him, calling out to him.
It's like the end of all stories.
Reason told Zhang Heng to stop and not move forward. However, he didn't feel wary of what was behind the fog. On the contrary, he felt an inexplicable sense of intimacy, as if he was returning home.
Zhang Heng knew that his trip to Greenland must be put on the agenda as soon as possible.
…
After returning to school, Zhang Heng first took a cold shower in the empty bathroom, then went to the gym for his daily training. After resting, he read some books in the library for a while. When time began to flow again, he went to the parking lot, sorted out the game items in the trunk, and drove to the bartender.
"These game items belong to Arc of Light, right? I still remember this flashlight. I just appraised it not long ago. It seems that you got a good haul that night," the bartender said.
"How many game points are these things worth?"
"There's a Grade-C game item inside, and it's very valuable. If you put it up for auction, you can probably sell it for 2,000 to 3,000 game points. However, if you mortgage it, you can only get 1,600 game points. The rest of the game items add up to about seven or eight hundred game points. So, you're still short of 1,600 game points."
Zhang Heng now had 1,000 game points on him. In addition, he had killed a team because of Han Lu. The game items he obtained were temporarily placed with Meinan. If he counted them, it should be enough.
"The last six or seven hundred game points will have to wait for a while," Zhang Heng said.
"No problem. Anyway, it will take about a month to cast the sword. You can pay me the balance when the sword is done." The bartender was surprisingly kind this time, probably because she didn't earn the money herself.
"Thanks," Zhang Heng said. Just as he was about to leave the game checkpoint, he heard the bartender say with a smile, "Don't be in such a hurry to leave. Since you're here, let's have a drink."
After that, she made a glass of wine as fast as she could. This time, she didn't mess around. Instead, she made a glass of pure Martini.
Zhang Heng sat down in front of the bar, "You look in a good mood. Did something good happen recently?"
"Well, I guess so." The bartender smiled slyly, "Did I tell you that I've been waiting for someone? Recently, I received news that that person is coming back soon."
"Who is it? Your fiancé?" Zhang Heng took a sip of his Martini.
"He's much more important than my fiancé." It was the first time Zhang Heng saw such a fanatical look in the bartender's eyes. She was no different from those young girls who were obsessed with idols on the Internet. Her face was full of infatuation, and she spoke in a tone full of worship, "He is my master, my faith, and the meaning of my existence."
"Sounds like a big shot … Is he the master behind this game?" Zhang Heng guessed.
"No, he has no interest in games or anything. If he wants to do something, he'll do it for real. That's why I admire him so much," the bartender said.
"That's a pretty cool guy." Zhang Heng figured that the person the bartender was waiting for wasn't a human. At the very least, he was at the same level as the weirdo in the Tang suit or Einstein. Since the bartender didn't want to elaborate, Zhang Heng didn't ask. He finished the Martini in his hand, wiped his mouth, and put the empty glass on the table. "In that case, I wish you good luck."
"Good luck to you too," the bartender said. "I received news that the proxy war will start in half a month at most. Your showtime is coming soon."
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