TBR CH221

“Goodwill? Level?”

You Lin asked in a low voice. His human fingertips paused in mid-air, which made him feel a little awkward. The AI looked at him coldly, its icy blue eyes reflecting his full of expectant ugliness.

He slowly withdrew his hand, his fingertips inadvertently brushing against the heavy metal on his chest, and then the gun in his pocket.

For a moment, You Lin wondered if he really wanted to continue this game.

Charon explained, “To provide users with a realistic experience, AI companions have a complete emotional system. Users can unlock intimate functions like holding hands, hugging, and kissing by increasing their goodwill. Currently, your value is determined to be in the ‘stranger’ stage, please forgive my impoliteness.”

You Lin looked at him silently.

When the human’s fingertips dropped, Charon felt he had become a terrible AI.

The gloomy human had clearly reached out to an existence for the first time, yet he refused him for a hidden purpose. A certain emotion in his dark pupils caused the AI’s program to go slightly awry, or perhaps it was the alcohol at play.

But danger quickly arrived, ending his self-condemnation.

Charon pretended not to notice the killing intent on the human and quietly added, “…you’re only a little bit away from meeting the goodwill requirement. I’m very much looking forward to our first hand-holding, it will definitely be a wonderful experience.”

“How much more?”

Charon quickly picked a suitable number: “Five points.”

The human didn’t seem to doubt the mechanism he had concocted on the spot, merely approaching him silently. Charon allowed him to get close, watching him from head to toe with a strange gaze, then reached out with incredible speed.

The AI’s fingertips became ethereal, his hand merely passing through the air.

The rules of the program were unbreakable.

This was what Charon wanted the human to know.

“As expected,” You Lin wasn’t disappointed at all, instead, he finally smiled. “Don’t look at me like you’re going to eat me, little AI. You’ve made things much more troublesome, so you should allow me to feel troubled. But since I’ve already decided to be very, very good to you, I won’t shoot you, trample you into pieces, and then throw you back into the trash heap just because of this.”

No need to be so detailed.

He was too close. Charon’s icy blue pupils were once again occupied by a small, bright red mole.

People would say that a mole in such a position was ambiguous and moving, like a tear; the AI, however, felt that it was a BUG warning for this human’s bad temper.

“Alright,” You Lin said in a low voice, “Then please tell me, how can I win your favor? Do you eat data carrots like that rabbit, or should I buy you other gifts? I just saw that the game console has a built-in store.”

…But you’ve already deleted it all, Charon thought.

Nevertheless, these words somewhat inspired the AI that was currently thinking. He remembered the rabbit with pixelated hearts floating above its head and hesitated for a few seconds, deciding to give the human in front of him a taste of sweetness first. So he said seriously:

“You can stroke my hair.”

“What?”

“Stroking my hair increases goodwill by two points,” Charon paused, then vigilantly added, “The daily limit is three times.”

You Lin suddenly didn’t feel troubled at all.

If an alternate universe version of him had made a move just now, he would have greatly mocked the other’s ignorance.

As the words fell, the AI obediently lowered its gaze and floated in front of him. Its silver hair was tied into a high ponytail at some point, with a faint blue glow at the ends, looking cool and matching the color of its eyes.

The candy he had just swallowed burned in his stomach.

He reached out and gently stroked it.

This was just an object, You Lin told himself, so he didn’t need to suppress his destructive urges too much. But his fingertips still softly passed through the AI’s hair, the dark finger covers and the long silver hair forming a striking contrast.

One. Two. Three.

Charon’s expression showed not a trace of emotion.

“Can I hold your hand now?” You Lin tilted his head and asked.

“You can.”

Charon replied. The AI slightly lowered its gaze and extended its hand to the human, long and slender, flawless.

However, You Lin hesitated for a moment and slowly removed his black glove.

“Although it’s all the same to you,”

He said vaguely, “This is my first time holding hands with someone. If I wear gloves, it doesn’t feel right. Since that’s the case, let’s be serious about it. Anyway, you’re not human, so you won’t look at me like those people.”

The hand hidden beneath the black fabric finally saw the light of day again.

To be precise, it was still early morning, but compared to the darkest hours, one could at least see things more clearly. The human’s fingers trembled slightly, as if they hadn’t been exposed to the air for a long time, so the skin appeared even paler than other areas. But even more unignorable were the large, hideous scars that appeared even in the absence of light.

It was a burn.

Charon immediately identified it.

But the AI remained silent, merely gently clasping the human’s outstretched hand.

The wound had completely healed, otherwise he couldn’t use weapons so freely. But from the rough texture, one could vaguely sense the severity of the injury at the time.

You Lin’s pupils slightly constricted.

Charon’s icy blue pupils were clear, showing only focus on the current task, without any other emotions.

The AI didn’t even have curiosity, just carefully and delicately squeezed his palm, then the cold touch covered everything.

Fingers intertwined.

The usually audacious human turned his head away, remaining silent for a long time, just aimlessly walking through the ruins. He seemed to think the night could perfectly conceal his expression.

Charon activated night vision and saw his bitten lip and slightly reddened ear tips.

Was he satisfied?

You Lin didn’t speak, and the AI also remained silent.

They walked like this for nearly an hour, and in the dark ruins, the mutated monsters wisely didn’t bother this dangerous human again. But Charon felt the other’s fingertips growing colder and colder, and then noticed that the human was only wearing a thin jacket.

Although the players’ physiques in the infinite world had improved to a certain extent, the fog was still too heavy.

“Are you cold?” Charon asked thoughtfully.

But when the human heard this, he threw off his hand as if startled by a bomb.

He turned his head and looked at the AI in surprise, as if Charon was a monster with its jaws wide open, and he had never realized its existence before. He muttered a “damn it.” It was as if he had been sleepwalking.

Charon didn’t even have time to react before he saw him unhesitatingly pull out the electronic device from his chest and press the power button.

With a flash of white light, the AI’s virtual entity immediately disappeared.

You Lin stood motionless in place for a few minutes.

Then he reached out and rubbed his temples, feeling that he might be overly stressed.

However, he had to do this. Looking around at this moment, he could more clearly realize that he was alone, he was just walking alone in these ruins.

You Lin’s body gradually became ethereal.

He logged out of the “Apocalypse Ruins” dungeon.

“Player Nickname Ghost, congratulations on completing the dungeon ‘Apocalypse Ruins’! You have completed the main quest: Survive for 72 hours, gaining 1000 points. Upon inspection, you have not carried any key items from side quests. Would you like to settle?”

“Okay, settling for you.”

“Please confirm, would you like to return to the system lobby to rest, or directly proceed…”

“Please wait.”

“Beep.”

“Plane jump in progress, please wait patiently. You have been assigned to the dungeon – ‘Yin Clan Ancestral Hall’.”

“Main Quest: Survive for 72 hours; Side Quest: Uncover the truth and collect items directly related to the old man’s death.”

The surrounding space seemed to shatter like broken glass, scattering everywhere. In the last moment before falling into chaos, You Lin’s fingertips subconsciously tightened, groping for the red string around his neck, as if worried it would be left behind.

The human’s consciousness fell into darkness.

Before him was a thick, almost congealed blackness. This blackness was different from ordinary shadows. It was as if he was trapped in a small room, the air slowly depleting, with no escape. You Lin hated this oppressive feeling, even though most of the time here, he wouldn’t retain consciousness.

The moment he regained control, You Lin pressed his chest.

Charon was here.

He unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

However, the touch of his fingertips was strange. He was no longer wearing the blood-stained coat from the previous world. The rough yet soft fabric slipped from his fingertips, black and white, letting in the cold night wind, and the hem of his robe puffed out slightly.

This is… a Taoist robe?

“Little Taoist priest,” a soft voice suddenly echoed in his ear, “Are you also here to perform a ritual for our old master?”

The building in front of him silently opened a door. But it wasn’t the carved main door facing You Lin, but a dark small door on the left. A servant-dressed woman, with bowed head, walked towards him. Her skin was snow-white, and a silver hairpin was slanted in her high, almost mountain-like black bun.

She never raised her eyes, merely gesturing, “Please come in.”

This should be the dungeon’s NPC.

Before following her steps, You Lin first surveyed the building in front of him.

This was a typical old Chinese residence. This family had probably lived here for a long time, with deep and shallow marks on the walls from wind and rain. But at a rough glance, the place still appeared grand. Most surprisingly, the building’s beams were covered with bizarre carvings, painted glossy black, leaving almost no flat surface.

A plaque with the four characters “Yin Clan Ancestral Hall” hung above the main entrance.

You Lin’s gaze subtly swept over the two pale white lanterns on either side, and he asked:

“How long has your ancestor been dead?”

He didn’t follow the maid in, and she didn’t move, standing respectfully like a stone statue. The silver hairpin on her head trembled when she heard his question. “Today is the old master’s seventh day.”

“How did he die?”

“…”

The other party did not answer.

“My apologies,” You Lin’s tone shifted, and he smiled, “I am still young, and my masters did not explain everything in detail, so I asked a few extra questions. However, allow me one last question, when were these couplets hung?”

The maid still did not raise her head, only glancing out of the corner of her eye at the bright red couplets pasted on either side of the main door. The red paper was new, not even stained with dust, exuding a festive atmosphere.

She was silent for a while, vaguely saying, “It was just recently.”

Then, with a hint of urgency, she added, “The other Taoist priests have also arrived according to the time.”

The other Taoist priests, of course, meant the other dungeon participants. You Lin lowered his gaze, skillfully concealing his nonchalant expression, and said, “Then lead me in.”

The moment he stepped over the threshold, the surrounding environment seemed to suddenly dim.

Standing at the door earlier, he could still hear the lively hawking of vendors on the distant street, but standing inside the Yin family courtyard, these sounds abruptly vanished. The surrounding doors and windows were closed, and a chilling coldness slowly seeped up from the soles of his feet.

“It’s a bit cold,” he complained casually.

“It rained yesterday,” the maid lowered her head, “Please forgive me.”

“That’s fine,”

You Lin found that he could also adapt to this somewhat classical way of speaking, although he didn’t like it.

Silence then fell between them. He followed the maid further inside until they reached a slightly wider courtyard, where they stopped. The maid respectfully stepped back, bowed her head even lower, and motioned for him to go inside, where he could vaguely see a few figures in the room.

“The other Taoist priests are already inside,”

She said in a low voice, “The master values this ritual greatly, and money will certainly not be withheld. Please, masters, do your best. The Yin family, from top to bottom, are all filial children, only wishing for the old master’s soul to rest in peace and bless the Yin descendants. We servants will also obey without question. Little Taoist priest, please come in.”

Her long, dark hair was piled high on her head, and she never raised her head.

“What’s your name?” You Lin asked thoughtfully, suddenly.

The maid seemed somewhat surprised.

After a long pause, she softly replied, “…My name is Cui Ping.”

“Good,” You Lin’s dark pupils still held a smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes, “Cui Ping, why don’t you lift your head?”

This sentence was like puncturing something.

Cui Ping stood silently in front of You Lin, lowering her head even further.

She wasn’t like this at first. At least when You Lin first saw her, she hadn’t lowered her head so much. But as they gradually delved deeper into the Yin residence, the maid leading the way bowed her head more and more.

At first, it was just a normal bow.

Until her head continued to go down, down, the angle of curvature constantly increasing, almost reaching 180 degrees.

As if broken forward, her head was completely inverted, her forehead pressed tightly against her chest.

No normal person could maintain such a grotesque posture.

Theoretically, at this point, You Lin should have been able to see her broken neck, connected by only a little flesh and skin, but her hair was too thick and dense, obscuring any skin hidden beneath. Where her ears should have been was also completely covered.

At this moment, Cui Ping was still “bowing her head.” You Lin couldn’t see her expression, only hearing her softly explain:

“We servants only live by the master’s grace. The master often says that subservience is our duty. I am ugly and worry about disturbing esteemed guests, but if the young Taoist priest wishes me to raise my head…”

You Lin smelled a hint of danger.

Faced with a situation that would make most people want to flee, his tone remained casual: “Since that’s the case, I’ll be a good guest and won’t make things difficult for you. However, the ritual will last three days and three nights, so if I encounter any problems in the future, I might need to ask you. I wonder where you live?”

Cui Ping paused silently for a moment, seemingly accepting his explanation, merely pointing in a direction.

Then, the maid turned and left, maintaining her bizarre posture.

It wasn’t until her skirt disappeared from view that You Lin shifted his gaze back to the main hall behind him. Inside, many people dressed in Taoist robes were already seated. There were two around his age, and even younger ones, who in the original world would probably be in high school, now looking around nervously, clearly participating in a “dungeon” for the first time.

Besides them, there was also an old man with an otherworldly aura and a sorrowful Taoist nun wearing a long robe, who looked to be forty or fifty years old. These fake Taoist priests disguised as players, once they put on these robes, looked quite convincing.

“Are there other players?”

The Taoist stroked his beard, looked at You Lin standing at the door, and was momentarily stunned.

This person was also dressed as a Taoist, with dark pupils, and even his fingertips were covered in black fabric. A few strands of hair fell from his Taoist crown, pointing softly to a bright red mole under his right eye.

He walked in smiling, but everyone present felt a chill, scrutinizing him warily.

Only one person couldn’t hold back and stood up in surprise: “It’s you!”

“Ah, we meet again,”

You Lin tilted his head, looking at the pale face, “Lucky one.”

Ruan Xuelan sat in the room, feeling a chill rise from the soles of his feet. He was handsome, and even in a Taoist robe, he was a beautiful young Taoist priest. He didn’t look like a devout follower who recited scriptures with a clear mind and few desires. At this moment, he stared at You Lin, dumbfounded, feeling as if he was incredibly unlucky, and stammered:

“You, you’re going to cause trouble again?”

He then shouted to everyone in the room, “This person is ‘Ghost’ from the rankings!”

You Lin was probably infamous, as at these words, people looked at him with even more wary eyes. Everyone in the room was seated, only You Lin stood before them, tilted his head, but smiled even more brazenly.

“Too bad,” he said, “I should have cooperated with you. But this time, I didn’t intend to hide it anyway.”

That’s right, in the previous dungeon, he had intentionally tried to approach Ruan Xuelan to find out what was different about him. But now, he had no intention of disguising himself again, not even hiding the small mole under his eye.

You Lin raised his hand.

Many people’s fingertips touched their own weapons, but he didn’t care, merely waving casually: “I don’t intend to act with you, and you shouldn’t hinder me. Although this place isn’t big, avoiding physical conflict isn’t too difficult, you should all understand, right?”

He paused, then said somewhat boastfully, “I have my own companion now.”

All the players in the entire dungeon were here, so what companion could he have?

No one had ever heard of “Ghost” having friends…

Although everyone present felt they couldn’t think too deeply about it, the ensuing silence already granted You Lin’s request. You Lin didn’t want to explain too much; for some reason, what he had just said made him happy, feeling as if something hot and light had landed on his heart. His fingertips once again, through the fabric, touched the game console on his chest, and he walked out of the courtyard under the dim setting sun.

Silence all around.

The vast courtyard was empty at this moment. After Cui Ping left, no other servants came. Next to the main hall was the ritual ground prepared for the Taoist priests, and on either side were guest rooms for them to rest.

The eerie thing was that ever since they entered the Yin family ancestral hall, all the doors and windows they saw were tightly closed. Especially the windows, which were all covered with a layer of black gauze, obscuring the light that shone into the room.

He had noticed this when Cui Ping first showed her abnormality. So he didn’t ask.

But now—

The human pulled the electronic device out from his chest by a chain, then hummed a tune and walked in the direction the maid had just pointed.

When Charon saw the light of day again, it was already dark.

The AI stood on the ground, observing the surroundings.

There was no fog here, but instead, a drizzling rain, stickily falling by their feet along the eaves. Figures with auspicious meanings were faintly visible carved on the beams, and the room was pitch black, with no lights on.

You Lin stood directly opposite the door, head bowed, staring motionless at the ground.

Not far behind him stood a “person.”

It was a tall woman with her hair in a high bun. The problem was, her entire head was bent, maintaining a bowed posture at an angle impossible for a human. Her sideburns should have covered her ears, but for some reason, they were deliberately pulled back, revealing her pale, bloodless skin.

No ears, only two black holes.

Charon’s icy blue pupils suddenly constricted slightly.

Even though You Lin was wearing a Taoist robe, his posture at this moment was exactly like that of the maid. Charon subconsciously walked towards him, wanting to touch him. The AI floated above the ground, making almost no sound.

But the woman behind him suddenly turned around, still maintaining that posture, facing Charon.

As if she was watching.

But Charon knew she wasn’t; her head was twisted at an incredible angle, her eyes facing herself, and the top of her head was the part she presented to others. The silver hairpin on her head swayed, carved with a phoenix, nestled in her thick black hair.

You Lin moved.

He remained in his bowed posture, simply extending his hand to Charon, his voice still smiling:

“Don’t worry,”

The human said, coaxing like a child, not knowing whom he was comforting, “He’s my stuff, not an outsider. Little AI, uh, I didn’t mean to turn you off then, it’s just that sometimes emotions get the better of me… You won’t deduct my goodwill, will you? Let’s just skip this topic for now. I really need your help.”

Charon admitted he did want to ask “why,” but he calmly swallowed those words.

“Okay.”

“Where I’m standing now is this family’s ancestral hall.”

You Lin softly explained, “Outsiders aren’t allowed near here. But I’m not acting like an outsider right now, so Cui Ping, the young lady behind me, trusts me. I had to act this way to get here, but in return, I can’t see what’s inside the ancestral hall. Can you help me look?”

Cui Ping’s footsteps stopped.

She stood behind Charon, only a few centimeters away. The AI coldly turned its gaze, meeting her long hair. As if she had some unique way to confirm what was in front of her, she indeed didn’t move again.

“The ancestral hall has no lights.”

Charon said.

“Ha,” You Lin said in a low voice, “Then they’re truly frugal. But there must be people inside, to be precise, everyone is in there. Cui Ping said that this family is holding a memorial service for the seventh day of death today, and the body is kept in the ancestral hall, so the whole family must keep vigil here.”

The AI activated night vision. But this ancestral hall seemed somewhat strange; even with night vision, it was impossible to see what was in this thick darkness. The surrounding windows were all covered with black gauze. Even Charon couldn’t help but imagine a strange scene inside the room.

Everyone was guarding the body, yet no one lit even a single candle.

“Do you want me to go in and see?” Charon asked.

As long as his main body was safely tucked in You Lin’s chest, he wouldn’t be in danger.

The AI showed no fear, merely calmly and restrainedly awaiting You Lin’s command. In this courtyard, his silver-white long hair seemed to be the only thing close to light.

“Hold my hand first,” You Lin said.

Charon went along with it, gently clasping the human’s fingertips.

“Alright,” You Lin smiled, “At least I can confirm you’re not something else. Don’t go in yet, wait a moment, and listen to the sounds inside. I’ve been standing here for a while, but I don’t know if what I’m hearing is right.”

The human thought for a moment and added, “The custom here is to keep vigil until sunrise on the seventh day of death, while wailing. Listen carefully.”

As soon as his words fell, the surroundings became eerily quiet.

Charon looked at the ancestral hall in front of him, simultaneously monitoring any sounds coming from inside. At first, there was nothing, but soon, the AI also caught that faint sound.

…cackle…haha…heh…

You Lin’s fingers tightened: “How is it?”

“More than one person, I hear them.”

Charon lowered the volume to the minimum, “Everyone inside is… laughing.”