Chapter 161

Chapter 161: Dark Boundless Realm 16

After finishing the class, Su Rong wearily closed her notebook, feeling as though she had been emptied out.

“Let’s take a break,” Kui Xin said as she tidied up her papers and looked at the time.

It was already evening and nearing six o’clock. Today had taken longer than usual for her to teach Su Rong.

“It’s time,” Kui Xin said, walking over to the window of Su Rong’s room to draw the curtains and set her mobile phone on the window frame.

Su Rong suddenly realized that the time had come for the city’s reflection in the sky to appear.

She jumped up from her chair and hurried to the window, looking nervously toward the sky.

The shadow of the city appeared right on time, an inverted city hanging in the sky. The blurred and illusory outlines seemed to distort the evening sun, making the clouds above look considerably dimmer, and the weather turned gloomy.

The dark, towering buildings of the Second World silently hung in the sky, instilling a terrifying sense of oppression. Because the reflection was inverted, those skyscrapers resembled stalactites hanging in a cave, yet they exuded a ghastly beauty.

Twenty minutes later, the phantom vanished.

Su Rong’s neck had become sore from craning it, and she exclaimed incredulously, “How could it last… so long?”

Kui Xin picked up her phone to review the video, her brow furrowed. Based on the previous recordings, those city reflections had been blurry, but tonight’s were exceptionally clear, clearer than ever before, as if a real city was suspended above Tonglin City… It felt as if an avalanche was approaching, dark clouds pressing down on the city—so real that the upside-down city above seemed ready to crash down and crush people to pieces.

“I see everyone online is saying that the apocalypse is coming…” Su Rong said. “I checked the foreign websites, and many media outlets reported an increase in robberies in various cities, with a significant rise in crime rates. People in supermarkets are stockpiling food and weapons… The domestic impact seems smaller, but it looks like food prices have also risen a bit. Is it due to reduced food production or the rumors of the apocalypse?”

“If Crimson Soil can enter public testing, the scenes at that time might be little better than the apocalypse,” Kui Xin said calmly.

What worried Kui Xin was that, in the face of these unknown changes, there was almost nothing she could do. She possessed extraordinary abilities, had a strong physical constitution, and an indomitable will, but what could she actually accomplish? Individual strength was ultimately too insignificant, especially when she was contending with the conflicts of two worlds.

“It’s so hard…” Su Rong said dejectedly. “Will I not even be able to live a peaceful life anymore?”

“I can only say that you should be mentally prepared for this,” Kui Xin said, putting her phone away and looking at Su Rong. “Let’s talk about what’s going on with you.”

“Okay!” Su Rong straightened her back. “Actually, when I first saw you in the car, I felt like I knew this cool blue-eyed sister… it was just… intuition! A woman’s intuition! If you hadn’t deliberately acted indifferent, I would have definitely jumped right over to ask if you were Kui Xin.”

“You’re quite perceptive. I was afraid you’d figure things out and come over to ask me, which is why I gave you that hint,” Kui Xin said. “You mentioned your intuition… can your inherent talent tell me anything?”

“Uh… ‘Soul Reenactment.’ I used to be an art student, taking courses like that. The teacher said I had some talent for acting… Another talent is ‘Harmless Aura.’ Strangers subconsciously find me very weak and defenseless, lowering their guard against me,” Su Rong explained. “The last one is ‘Friendly Identification!’ I can intuitively know who can be trusted. But these abilities are quite strange; I don’t know when they actually activate…”

Kui Xin fell into thought. “Your abilities are connected to your identity in the real world and the Second World. This might be an inherent talent you possess, as well as one you acquired through learning.”

Kui Xin wasn’t very close to He Kangshi, so she hadn’t asked such private questions.

Su Rong trusted Kui Xin immensely and shared all her secrets, confirming some of Kui Xin’s previous assumptions.

From the statements of players on the forum, it could be inferred that every player has their own inherent talent, but much like extraordinary abilities, not many players disclose their information on forums, resulting in very low discussion about this topic; everyone keeps a tight lid on their secrets.

Kui Xin’s grades were excellent, and her learning capability granted her the inherent talent ‘Rapid Learning.’ She had a strong sense of concern and self-protection from a young age, which made ‘Hazard Avoidance’ a logical outcome. Later, ‘Hazard Avoidance’ upgraded to ‘Absolute Prediction.’ She remained calm in challenging situations, able to lie without changing her expression, giving rise to ‘Performance Persona.’ Finally, there were ‘Life Fortitude’ and ‘Combat Instinct.’

Kui Xin believed that the last two inherent talents were traits of her self in the Second World. However, perhaps it was more than that; maybe her self in the Second World also possessed other talents, which combined enhanced her abilities, resulting in these inherent talents being locked in her skill bar.

Su Rong’s route to her inherent talents was similar to Kui Xin’s.

In the Second World, she was a star, and in the First World, she had taken acting classes, giving her some acting skills. With her sweet and charming face, she naturally made it easy for others to drop their guard around her. As for ‘Friendly Identification’… this inherent talent’s triggering mechanism seemed as mystical as Kui Xin’s ‘Absolute Prediction,’ often functioning erratically.

“When I was with you, Kui Xin, perhaps it was due to my inherent talent; it reminded me that you are a trustworthy person,” Su Rong said. “At critical moments, it’s quite reliable! Right?”

Kui Xin smiled slightly. “Can you tell me the specific effects of your extraordinary abilities?”

“Sure, watch.” Su Rong summoned a Shadow Double from her shadow.

The Shadow Double was as dark as ink, seeming like flowing black mud; its face was indistinct, yet its body outline was identical to Su Rong’s.

“It can serve tea and is very obedient.” Su Rong instructed the Shadow Double to pour a glass of water for Kui Xin and made it walk around the room. The Shadow Double silently passed through walls and came back. “It can walk through walls and lift very heavy objects…”

The Shadow Double grabbed a dumbbell from Su Rong’s room and effortlessly lifted it over its head.

“This dumbbell belongs to my dad; it weighs thirty pounds, and I can only lift the smallest size.” Su Rong said, “It’s very impressive! It can cut fruits too.”

The Shadow Double’s palm transformed into a blade, swiftly trimming the strawberry tops from a fruit platter and chopping a large pineapple into neat cubes, then inserting a toothpick and handing it to Kui Xin.

“How many can you summon at once?” Kui Xin asked, intrigued as she held the fruit platter.

“One… it can disappear and be summoned again,” Su Rong replied. “It’s a C-rank ability.” She looked at Kui Xin curiously. “Back then, you shattered it with one punch; your spatial abilities are so convenient.”

“You’ve positioned yourself ahead of many players,” Kui Xin said after a moment of silence, putting down the fruit platter. “What do you feel about killing, Rong Rong?”

Su Rong froze, the memories she’d been deliberately suppressing came rushing back, and she could no longer maintain a smile.

“I… feel terrible.” Her head drooped. “Last night, I fell asleep and dreamed of Dmitri, and I was covered in bl**d.”

“You should know, there’s no turning back for you now.” Kui Xin said. “I’m sorry to bring this up at this time, but returning to the First World isn’t for you to shut yourself off; it’s meant to give you time to think thoroughly about the path that lies ahead. If you lack awareness and resolve, then following me is pointless. ‘I’m not your babysitter,’ I’ve told you that—I cannot protect you; you must protect yourself.”

“I know…” Su Rong said with difficulty. “My parents said that no one can be my support, not even they… I have to become my own support.”

“That’s right. But understanding this and knowing how to do it are two different things,” Kui Xin said.

“Kui Xin, do you have troubles in the Second World?” Su Rong asked. “I’ve been thinking for a long time about why you intentionally act indifferent…”

“The reason is simple; I can hardly protect myself,” Kui Xin said. “I’m under constant surveillance and could d*e at any moment. If I hadn’t saved you in that situation, you would have died; I had to take you away… If there had been another option, I would have absolutely not brought you to my side. Rong Rong, I can tell you bluntly, being by my side doesn’t equal safety; it may only prolong your d*ath. Danger comes not only from the outside but also from those around me.”

Su Rong draw in a sharp breath, fear and panic threatening to resurface. She had felt this frightened when she killed Dmitri, nearly unable to think.

Kui Xin’s words were harsh, ruthlessly shattering the tranquility within Su Rong.

But she couldn’t deceive her into thinking she was safe… The fact was, no player was absolutely safe.

“Then, what should I do to… to survive?” Su Rong mustered the courage to ask.

“Be a useful person,” Kui Xin replied. “Be an ignorant person.”

“Strive to grow strong and continue pretending not to know Kui Xin? Act like we’re strangers, and always need to disguise?” Su Rong thought of many things.

In a high-tech society, there are many ways to keep watch; implanting monitoring chips in prosthetic limbs or augmented eyes is one such method. Su Rong immediately guessed that Kui Xin was restrained, which was why she was unwilling to reveal their relationship—she was protecting her.

“Yes, let’s maintain the status quo for now,” Kui Xin said. “You must become valuable, become strong, and arm yourself. Others may exploit your value, but what’s worse than being used is having no value, being without anything to be used. A valuable person won’t be casually discarded, while a worthless person can be thrown away like trash—dust blown away at will. In that world, you cannot afford to be without value, Rong Rong.”

Because Kui Xin had value, she worked hard to showcase it, allowing her to survive until now.

She revealed her value in front of Augus and became his collaborator; she showcased her value to Eve, and as a result, Eve temporarily spared her and let her act as an undercover agent beside Augus.

In every collaboration, every escape from peril, Kui Xin constantly sought to uncover her own value to receive Augus’s assistance and persuade Eve.

“One more thing,” Kui Xin scrutinized Su Rong. “Regarding the Popov Clan, how do you want to handle it? Postpone, abandon, or retaliate? You need to choose one.”

Su Rong tightened her grip on her shirt at her chest, finding it difficult to breathe.

All the pain she had experienced since entering the Second World, combined with Kui Xin’s words, struck her heart heavily.

To be a valuable… to be an ignorant person…

She had to choose one from postponing, abandoning, or retaliating.

Letting those people go, she felt unwilling. Postponing? That wouldn’t solve the problem… Retaliation? Dmitri was already dead, but Su Rong knew well that what allowed Dmitri to act recklessly was not himself, but the powerful forces behind him—those corrupt and ugly financial magnates.

Su Rong was already on the edge of danger, needing someone to give her a push.

Kui Xin saw this and became the one to push her. Ahead lay an abyss, but also a path to survival.

Su Rong opened her mouth. “Since I can only choose one… then I choose retaliation.”