Chapter 8: Dreamland (1)
“Head’s killing me… Ouch, ouch, ouch…”
Lin Nan jolted awake from his slumber, only to find a splitting headache waiting for him.
He slowly opened his eyes to see a snow-white ceiling overhead, and he was sprawled inside a soft, elongated, b*llet-shaped game pod.
Wait… where the heck is he?
Lin Nan’s heart raced as he realized the situation, his body now tinged with the prickles of alarm.
Game pod? Game pod!
Not only was he not dead, but he was back in the real world!
A surge of indescribable excitement filled him. He wanted to crawl out of the game pod, but his limbs felt like overcooked noodles, completely useless.
This must be that lovely phenomenon known as muscle atrophy from too much inactivity, right?
But spurred on by joy, Lin Nan struggled and managed to heave himself out.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor, he stared at his male body and, for some reason, felt his earlier excitement fizzled out just a bit.
That silky long hair, flawless and smooth skin, and the exquisite enjoyment his feminine form offered—now evaporated like morning mist.
At this moment, it felt like he had suddenly jumped from the body of a girl straight into that of a man. The bulky thing between his legs felt like an unwelcome burden, making him somewhat irked.
Lin Nan shook his head vigorously. “Come on, Lin Nan! Don’t get too deep into character! It’s just a fantasy. See, I’m back, aren’t I?”
The last scene he remembered before losing consciousness stuck vividly in his mind.
Out of nowhere, a giant lotus flower had appeared, engulfing him whole, collapsing inward without mercy. No matter how he struggled, he couldn’t escape its grasp, the sensation of helplessness and despair still sent chills down his spine.
The Cold Moon Witch was probably dead for the umpteenth time, but he had somehow hit the jackpot and returned to reality.
If he could come back, what about the nearly one hundred million other players forcibly teleported over?
With that thought, Lin Nan nearly rolled and crawled to his computer, anxious to load up the news site for the latest updates.
But to his shock, not a single news headline mentioned the missing persons situation. What in the world was going on?
He quickly typed in “The Way of Inquiry” as the search keyword.
Bing! In a flash, thousands of links related to the game popped up.
The first headline read, “Virtual Reality Game ‘The Way of Inquiry’ Exposed in Shocking Scam! A Million Players Unleash Fury, Game Company Goes Bust in Great Satisfaction!”
Whoa, hold on a second! What’s this bizarre twist?
Looking at the publication date, it was already two months old. No wonder there was a complete lack of “The Way of Inquiry” in current events.
Lin Nan clicked to read the article closely, terrified of missing a crucial detail.
After an eager scroll from start to finish, he finally let out a long exhale, piecing together the general storyline.
According to the article, the so-called virtual display technology touted by “The Way of Inquiry” game company wasn’t as mind-blowing as they claimed. To meet sales goals, the company had even mixed hallucinogenic substances into the nutritional solutions sold with the game pods.
As a result, once players entered the game, no matter how mediocre the virtual scenes were, the effect of the hallucinogen ensured everyone was utterly satisfied with the game.
A good reputation led to explosive sales for “The Way of Inquiry.”
More and more players flocked to the game.
At first, many players found it odd why a rather mediocre game had such a loyal following.
But just a day or two later, they flipped sides entirely, becoming fervent supporters of “The Way of Inquiry.”
This was all thanks to the hallucinogen that allowed players to conjure up vibrant game scenes in their minds, filling their gameplay with immense pleasure.
The only downside? The hallucinogen was highly addictive.
After some time, players became increasingly dependent on the game, with some pulling all-nighters, drowning themselves in the virtual world, even bypassing national mandates for mandated breaks.
As time passed, numerous societal issues emerged.
There were horrific incidents, like parents becoming so engrossed online they let their children starve.
As a result, the media turned its attention to the game that had captivated so many. Soon, the issue of hallucinogens in the nutritional solutions was exposed.
People exploded with outrage upon learning the truth, condemning the “The Way of Inquiry” company for sacrificing morals in the pursuit of profit.
Thus, due to legal violations, the company was ordered to shut down and cease sales of all “The Way of Inquiry” related products.
However, during the investigation, it was discovered that some players remained logged in to the servers.
Seemingly due to prolonged use of hallucinogens, their consciousness had become skewed, and they believed they were actually a part of the “The Way of Inquiry” world. Forcibly waking them up could risk irreversible brain damage.
There had already been reports of parents who unplugged the game pod only for their sons to wake up as vegetables.
So, to be safe, law enforcement instructed the game’s programmers to develop an updated version, ramping up the game’s difficulty.
When a character died in the game, it would trigger a forced exit from the pod, ensuring the player’s brain wouldn’t undergo shock from sudden change.
By the time the news was reported, nearly a thousand players still lingered on the server, and the game server would continue running until every player had logged off.
Reading this, Lin Nan was drenched in cold sweat.
Could it be… that everything he experienced was all a hallucination?
Just a figment of imagination fueled by hallucinogens?
“Bang!”
Suddenly, the frail apartment door was slammed open by a swarm of people, some carrying cameras, others holding microphones adorned with various TV station logos, all rushing towards Lin Nan.
“Lin Nan! According to our data, you’re the last player to log off from the server! Can you share with us the incredible experiences you had in the game over the past six months?”
“A leading medical expert has conducted thorough tests on you and found that your brainwaves are exceptionally active, which is likely why you struggled to leave the game. Could you share your feelings upon discovering the truth with us?”
Lin Nan stood, surrounded by a throng like a celebrity, microphones from four or five different TV stations crowding his lips.
Everyone fixed eager gazes on him, hoping for a few more words.
“Get out! Everyone, get out!”
Lin Nan yelled, his voice breaking.
This startled several stunning female reporters, who quickly scurried back.
“He’s gone mad! Definitely lost it.”
“I guess only a lunatic could stay in that game for so long.”
The reporters scattered like leaves in the wind.
Leaving Lin Nan, bewildered and kneeling on the floor, surrounded by the chaos, looking both pained and utterly lost.
