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Chapter 978: Altar

“This is Teacher Zhang’s wife’s first time playing this game. Will she be lost?”

There were fewer people on the street. When the players dispersed, a young woman came over, pushing a wheelchair.

“Hello, Han Fei.”

Women like beauty, and Teacher Zhang’s wife was no exception. She adjusted to when she was prettiest in life.

“Come in. Teacher Zhang has been waiting for a long time already.” Han Fei accepted the wheelchair and entered the base. He called for Zhang Mingli. Teacher Zhang couldn’t say anything when he saw his wife. This was their first time meeting outside the nightmare.

“Take your time.” Han Fei astutely rolled the wheelchair away. He opened the inventory and handed a brain-like gem to the child in the wheelchair. No. 2 looked similar to how he did in the altar world. After No. 2 touched the brain fragment, blood melted into his body.

“You seem to have run into troubles.” No. 2’s voice was the same as how Han Fei remembered. He still retained the memory.

“Don’t need to be polite. We’ve been through so many things together. We’re tourists on the same ship.” Han Fei had never treated No. 2 had a child. “Many Unmentionables have participated in the bloodred night, but the main culprit is Dream. The fight between us is reaching the climax.”

“Where’s No. 0?”

“He has taken over all of my altars and become an Unmentionable. He’s guarding the channels to the surface world.” Han Fei pushed the wheelchair forward. “The cryptic world is not peaceful at the moment. They want to attack the channel. If we don’t deal with Dream soon, No. 0 will be in a lot of danger.”

No. 2 might only have a brain left, but he was very clever. “Many players are trapped inside the game. The forces in real life don’t dare to do anything. Dream can also force you to open the channel between the cryptic world and the real world. It won’t lose.”

“Yes.” Han Fei looked at the surrounding grey mist. “Unless we can destroy Dream’s altars and consume it!”

No. 2 smiled. “That’s right. That’s our only choice left. If we can eat the 11 altars, perhaps No. 0 and I can get stronger.”

“That’s why I got you here.” Han Fei took out the drawing painted by Teacher Zhang. “Dream was born a generation earlier than Fu Sheng. It is scarier than any Unmentionable I’ve met. Even though its real body isn’t here yet, it has caused us a lot of trouble. The whole city is covered in grey mist. To destroy the altar, we have to clear a rare nightmare. I hope you can use your power to find these nightmares.”

“I’m good at controlling fate, but I’m not invincible. I need someone who is bound to fate to help me. The stronger the bind, the more successful my prediction will be.” No. 2 leaned back. “Other than that, I need to remind you one thing. We’re all under Dream’s observation. If we use power beyond the limit, we’ll be spotted.”

“I know that.”

“What I mean is that Dream still doesn’t know about my existence. I suggest you have me show myself after you have everything ready.” No. 2 looked at Han Fei. “I have an incomplete soul. When I make my move, the game rules will be rewritten. Dream will make its move too.” No. 2 meant that the Unmentionables around the theme park might attack as well.

“Of course, even if I don’t use my power, I can see many things you can’t.” No. 2 picked up the draft. “I didn’t gain my brain after becoming an Unmentionable, but my brain made me into an Unmentionable.”

“I don’t get it, but I always think you’re amazing.” Han Fei focused on his stamina so he couldn’t match No. 2. He pushed the wheelchair into the lobby. Huang Yin and Bai Xian came over.

“Let me introduce our newest member. He’s the cleverest child I’ve ever met.” When Han Fei introduced No. 2, No. 2 kept his eyes on Huang Yin. This made Huang Yin feel uncomfortable, like his fate was gripped by an invisible hand.

“Our luck is not bad. Your base has someone bound with fate.” No. 2 pointed at Huang Yin. “He’s transforming into the new nightmare. He’s a living dream demon.”

“Me?” Huang Yin didn’t even know how to respond.

“He is Huang Yin, the surface world’s first player. Butterfly dragged him into the nightmare before he died. I’ll introduce you to someone else called Shen Luo. He has obtained Fu Sheng’s consciousness fragment inside the altar.” Han Fei sent a message to Shen Luo. After the introductions, Han Fei pushed No. 2 to the central pavilion. For Han Fei and No. 2, all the players represented their eyes.

“The nightmares appear varied, but they are connected.” No. 2’s brain was beyond normal comprehension. He could see the essence. “When your friend is here, I’ll leave the mark of fate on the three of you. When you enter the nightmare, I can sense the inside of the altar through you.”

“Even me?”

“Your fate intersects with Dream. There’s a 90 percent chance you’ll die to him.” No. 2 said calmly.

“The last 10 percent is me killing Dream?” Han Fei gripped his hands. Even if he had a 10 percent chance, he wouldn’t give up.

“No. The 10 percent chance is you being killed by something else.” No. 2 sighed. “But don’t give up. Fate can be changed.”

“I shouldn’t have asked.” Han Fei pushed No. 2 around the pavilion. A few hours later, a man covered in a black robe sneaked over to Han Fei’s side.

“Han Fei, can we meet at a less populated spot next time?” Shen Luo’s voice came from the robe. He was scared that he’d be recognized.

“What have you done?” Han Fei was shocked. There was a butterfly pattern on Shen Luo’s face.

“It’s so hard…” Shen Luo cried. “Whenever I tried to save the other players in the nightmare with me, they’d end up being injured. I keep getting rewards from the nightmare. Absolute Truth and Merchant Union have even started to want my head! When they see me, they’ll ignore the mission and hunt me down! Why?”

“Have you considered helping the nightmare and not the player?” Shen Luo suggested.

“No way. I’m still with humanity!” Shen Luo said firmly, and then he saw No. 2. “Where did you find this kid? Was he abandoned? We’re doing something dangerous. You better don’t harm him.”

The children at the bloodred orphanage were homeless. Shen Luo could always accidentally tear open the wounds within the ghost’s hearts. Thankfully, No. 2 wasn’t like Xu Qin. No. 2 quietly moved away from Shen Luo. To protect Shen Luo, Han Fei led the two into the room Huang Yin had prepared. The room was underneath the mission building. It was Huang Yin’s private room. Huang Yin closed the door and took out a tray from the safe. It had 19 black and white pieces on it.

“You told me to pay attention to this. After I told the guilds, I got this much.” Huang Yin spent a lot. “The guilds still have more. After all, they also want to figure out what these things can do.”

“Fragments to mimic the black box?” No. 2 picked up a piece. “Dream is a crazy entity. It traps people inside nightmares about getting this small piece.”

“I don’t get it. Why would Dream want the black box?” Han Fei frowned. Each piece was a person’s life.

“You should be able to answer that better than I do.” No. 2 didn’t clarify it. He tried to piece the pieces together. “There are too few here. Continue buying them. We don’t have much time. If we can’t purchase them, we can steal them and then blame Dream.”

“Do you need my help?” Shen Luo felt like he should contribute.

“I’m just offering some options.” No. 2 sat on the wheelchair and looked at them. “Dream is unlucky to have its fate crossed with the three of you.” No. 2 smiled, picked up the paper from the table, dipped it in his blood, and folded three planes. “From now, keep these on you. I need you to challenge different nightmares, the harder, the better.”

“Is that all?” Shen Luo took the paper plane. “It feels like playing house.”

“You can go now. I need to arrange the info of all the players and find Dream’s trace.” No. 2 waved impatiently.

Han Fei’s group came to the altar furthest from the Happiness Neighborhood.

“Brother Han, why did we meet at Absolute Truth’s place if we’re from Happiness Neighborhood?”

“Because we can’t place all the eggs in one basket. You and I are the hope of all the players, so we should split up normally.”

“You have a point.”

The three waved into the grey mist.

After clearing the ninth layer, Han Fei came closer to the altar. He walked down the corridor and slowly walked up until darkness descended. When vertigo disappeared, Han Fei, Shen Luo, and Huang Yin appeared in the same room. This was the tenth layer!

Different from the fifth layer, there were no beds but two altars.

The altar on the left had the doors closed and looked normal. The altar on the right had the doors open a gap. There was a twisted figurine inside. The figurine was severely damaged and bound by red threads. The neck, head, and limbs were pierced by murder weapons.

“It’s time to make a choice again, whether to pick the normal altar on the left or the cruel God on the right?” Huang Yin frowned and finally decided to follow Han Fei’s advice. “There’s no hint in the room. How do you think we should pick?”

“Let Shen Luo pick first.” Han Fei was thankful that he came with Shen Luo this time. After Shen Luo made his choice, he and Huang Yin would just pick the other choice.