Chapter 174: Gray Game
Not long after entering the side road, all scenery outside the bus turned into unchanging gray.
This was a gray world.
'Is this the Gray World?'
While reading the Abnormal Incident Compilation in the Gray Realm, Lin Ye had experienced an abnormal event related to the Gray World within the stories.
Additionally, Ayla had mentioned the Gray World when explaining relics. According to her, the Gray World was a special dangerous plane of the same level as the Abyss.
Although everything here was gray, Lin Ye wasn't certain this was actually the Gray World. Aside from the color and extreme quietness, this place didn't seem particularly special.
Compared to the Abyss, this place was far too ordinary.
Lin Ye's perception was extremely sharp, but while driving here, he didn't sense any feeling of danger.
In his perception, this place felt as safe as the shelter.
No monsters appeared in the middle of the road, no dangerous passengers by the roadside—only pale gray roads and sky. The two passengers on the bus watched the scenery outside the window. Their moods grew increasingly calm, gradually forgetting their purpose for riding this bus, until finally their eyes lost their luster, leaving only clean gray.
Lin Ye calmly glanced at the rearview mirror. He knew this situation wasn't right, but it didn't matter. As long as he could stay in this quiet gray world forever, he was willing to do anything.
The system, the shelter, his main body, simulation tasks...
None of that mattered anymore.
'But if I keep driving forward, I'll leave this world soon enough.'
'What should I do to stay here?'
The Gray World didn't affect Lin Ye's thinking ability. On the contrary, without all that noise, his thoughts became clearer.
'Stopping definitely won't work. I had a premonition before that if I stop for a while, danger will approach.'
'...Maybe I can try. This is the Gray World—the danger might not affect me here. And even if I die, I can just enter again in the next simulation.'
'No, once I leave the Gray World, I'll return to normal. At that time, I definitely won't come back in again.'
'What should I do then?'
Just as Lin Ye was thinking about how to stay in the Gray World, a gray bus stop appeared on one side of the road.
A passenger was waiting at the station.
Lin Ye parked the bus next to the station, and a young girl in school uniform boarded the bus.
After the girl got on, the coin slot space didn't open, and the bus didn't absorb Lin Ye's spiritual energy or flesh.
"Senior, it's only been a few days. How did you become like this?"
The junior sat in the seat near the door, smiling as she spoke.
As the junior spoke, the completely grayed-out bus regained its color, and a glimmer of light appeared in Lin Ye's eyes.
"A few days? It feels like it's been so long..."
Lin Ye forcefully suppressed the impulse to jump out of the vehicle and rush into that gray world, sighing with deep regret.
Even after returning to normal, he couldn't completely abandon the idea of staying in the Gray World.
The Gray World had a fatal attraction—this was the fundamental reason why Lin Ye, knowing full well how dangerous the Gray World was, still chose to enter here. The moment he first saw that lead-gray sky, he had already been captivated.
"Really? I don't know how many days have passed for you. After all, the daily duration differs between both sides."
The junior spoke very casually.
"Thanks. Are you a character from the story, or your actual self?"
Lin Ye asked curiously.
"For existences like us, there's no difference between story characters and our actual selves. By the way, I think I mentioned last time we parted that when we meet again, I should have a fight with you, senior."
The junior looked eagerly at the back of Lin Ye's head.
"No, it's only been a few days. Let's do it next time."
Lin Ye refused decisively. He really didn't want to brawl with this junior in such a place, especially after gaining some understanding of the Gray World.
"It really has been a bit short. I didn't expect you to enter the Gray World at second tier either—you're really brave. How about this: let's play a game. If you win, I'll give you a Gray World relic. I don't have many such relics in my possession."
The junior looked at Lin Ye with an expression that said "you've really hit the jackpot."
"I surrender. You win."
Lin Ye conceded directly. Even considering it for one second would be disrespectful to the Gray World.
"...So boring. Fine, I'll take a loss. If you win, I'll send you out. If you lose, I'll give you a Gray World relic and send you out. How about that? I'm really trying hard to give you a gift, senior."
The junior made eye contact with Lin Ye through the rearview mirror, showing a cute smile.
"Can't I just drive out directly?"
Lin Ye didn't want any Gray World relic at all. The shelter wasn't omnipotent, and he couldn't stay in the shelter forever either. It was better not to touch such dangerous items if possible.
"This is the Gray World. This bus is almost completely grayed out. Once it grays out completely, it can only travel within the Gray World. Unless..."
Unless the cute junior helped Lin Ye out.
"I can choose to kill myself."
Lin Ye took out his spiritual energy pistol and aimed it at his head, but he didn't pull the trigger because he knew that if this junior didn't want him to, he couldn't even commit suicide here.
"Then go ahead and kill yourself. I'll wait for you to come back next time."
The junior stood up and walked behind Lin Ye, helping him pull the trigger.
Bang!
A gray flower popped out from the gun barrel, bouncing off Lin Ye's head.
It actually hurt quite a bit.
"Just kidding. How could I bear to watch you die, senior?"
The junior smiled as she pulled out that flower and tucked it into Lin Ye's prison uniform.
"Only by leaving the Gray World can I avoid being affected when I approach a Gray World entrance next time?"
Lin Ye asked.
"Yes, that's one of the Gray World's rules. Only those who actively leave the Gray World can completely break free from it. Suicide doesn't count. So play a game with me. Regardless of winning or losing, I'll send you out."
The junior took the pistol and aimed it at Lin Ye's head. This time, it might not necessarily be a flower inside.
"...What game?"
In someone else's territory, Lin Ye could only play by their rules.
This was also something he brought upon himself. If the bus didn't have Abyssal aura, he didn't think the road would connect to such a place.
"Similar to last time, but this time I won't lose again."
From boarding until now, this was the first time the junior showed a somewhat serious expression.
"...I have things to do tonight."
Lin Ye finally understood why she was so obsessed with the game—she simply didn't like losing.
"Don't worry. In the consciousness world, the passage of time isn't fixed. As long as your mental energy is strong enough, you can experience many stories in just one second."
Seeing Lin Ye agree, the junior said happily.
"Then let's start quickly."
Coincidentally, Lin Ye was also that type of person—he particularly disliked losing too, even if it was just a game.