My ‘Healing’ Game

After exchanging information with the police, Han Fei returned to the Eternal Life Laboratory, where he used the equipment inside to communicate with Number Two, setting the Happiness Community as their meeting point.

For some reason, Number Two’s brain did not respond to anyone else’s words, except for Han Fei’s, leaving the researchers at Eternal Life Pharmaceutical puzzled.

Having worked a hectic day, Han Fei returned home at midnight and logged into the game.

As the blood-colored night descended, a pair of eyes inside the gray cocoon continuously watched Han Fei, as if slowly confirming something.

Han Fei could feel the hidden gaze inside the gray cocoon, but he had no way to escape because logging in and out of the game required time.

Opening his eyes, Han Fei’s consciousness returned, and he pushed open the residence door, patiently waiting at the intersection.

"Is Teacher Mingli’s wife lost? It’s her first time playing the game."

As fewer and fewer pedestrians walked the street, after the surrounding players dispersed, a young woman came over pushing a wheelchair.

"Hello, Han Fei."

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Women love to be beautiful, and Teacher Mingli’s wife was no exception. She adjusted the game’s appearance to the most beautiful moment of her life to show her best side.

"Come quickly, Teacher Mingli has been waiting for a long time." Han Fei took over the wheelchair, entered the residence, and called out Zhang Mingli.

The cultured Teacher Mingli found himself speechless upon seeing the woman; this was their first meeting outside of nightmares.

"Take your time chatting." Han Fei tactfully pushed the wheelchair away, turned to

open the item bar, and handed gem-like brain fragments to the child in the wheelchair.

Number Two, in the Shallow World, looked similar to how he did in the Shrine, young but without legs.

No explanation needed, as soon as Number Two touched those brain fragments from the Deep World, blood fused into his body, making his consciousness and soul whole.

"You seem to have encountered trouble again." Number Two’s voice and tone matched that in Gao Xing’s Shrine, as if retaining his memories.

"That sounds unfamiliar. We’re in this together, like passengers on the same ship." Han Fei never treated Number Two as a child: "The blood-colored night involves many unspeakable beings, but the mastermind is Dream. Our confrontation is at a critical juncture."

"What about Zero?"

"He has occupied all the Shrines I acquired, becoming an unspeakable entity, securing the passage to the Deep World." Han Fei pushed the wheelchair forward: "The Deep World is not peaceful now, as unspeakable entities eye the passage. If we don’t resolve Dream quickly, Zero will be in danger."

Though only a brain remains, Number Two understands the situation clearly: "Four million players trapped in the game, becoming hostages; major forces in reality dare not act recklessly, enabling Dream to force you to open passages between the Deep World and reality, a scenario ensuring no loss."

"Indeed." Han Fei looked at the gray mist spreading across the Main City District: "Unless we destroy Dream’s Shrine, tear it apart, and consume it!"

In response, Number Two smiled: "Right, this is the only path before us. If we can devour Dream’s eleven Shrines, perhaps Zero and I could progress further."

"That’s why I’m here to find you." Han Fei took out the nightmare operation map drawn by Teacher Mingli: "Dream predates Fu Sheng by an era, more terrifying than any unspeakable entity I’ve encountered before. Its real form hasn’t descended into the Shallow World yet, but it’s already caused us significant trouble. Now the entire city is shrouded in gray mist; to destroy the Shrine producing the mist, we must clear various nightmares, a few of which are based on Dream’s own memories. I hope you can use your ability to identify these special nightmares."

"I excel at manipulating fate and forecasting future, though this ability isn’t invincible; it requires items and events entangled with Dream’s fate as a catalyst. The deeper the ties, the higher the prediction success rate." Number Two leaned against the wheelchair back: "Additionally, I must remind you, we’re all under Dream’s surveillance now; using abilities beyond its rules will get noticed."

"I’m aware."

"I mean, Dream is unaware of my existence; I suggest waiting till everything is ready before letting me act." Number Two looked at Han Fei: "I’m an unspeakable entity with complete consciousness and soul; once I strike with full force, the game rules will rewrite, and Dream might no longer delay."

When Number Two strikes, it’s a point of no return with Dream, possibly inciting attacks on the passage by unspeakable entities lingering around the Deep World Paradise.

"Of course, I can discern many things beyond your sight without using my ability." Number Two picked up Zhang Mingli’s sketch: "I wasn’t smart because I became unspeakable; my brain power made me unspeakable."

"I don’t quite understand, but I always knew you’re incredible." Han Fei, who primarily focused on physical strength, felt he and Number Two were not of the same kind.

As the wheelchair entered the residence hall, Huang Ying and Bai Xian gathered over.

"Let me introduce you to a new member, the cleverest child I’ve met."

Upon Han Fei introducing Number Two to residence members, Number Two’s gaze fixed on Huang Ying, causing him discomfort, feeling like an invisible hand lifted his fate.

"We are fortunate; you have someone in your residence tied to Dream’s fate." Number Two pointed at Huang Ying: "He is transforming into a new nightmare, a living nightmare."

"Me?" Huang Ying heard this for the first time, unaware of his own might.

"His name is Huang Ying, the top player from the Shallow World, whom Butterfly brought into the nightmare before dying; soon I’ll introduce Shen Luo, a special talent who gained Dream’s consciousness fragment hidden in Fu Sheng’s Shrine." Han Fei opened the contact list, messaging Shen Luo.

After introductions were complete, Han Fei pushed the wheelchair, alongside Number Two, heading to the Central Square of the Main City District.

Four million players traversing nightmares daily, gathering vast information and numerous nightmare experiences.

For Han Fei and Number Two, all players are equivalent to their eyes.

"These nightmares may seem varied, but they actually contain certain connections." Under continuous experimental torment, Number Two’s brain has transcended human limitations, and he can always see the essence through the surface: "After your friend arrives, I will leave the mark of fate on the three of you. Once you enter the nightmare, it’s like I am extending my feelers into the Shrine, sensing the inside of the Shrine."

"Does that include me?"

"You also have intersections with the fate of the Dream; there’s a ninety percent chance you’ll die at the hands of the Dream." Number Two said calmly.

"Then the remaining ten percent is that I kill the Dream?" Han Fei clenched his fists, determined to give all his efforts even if there is only a ten percent chance.

"No, the remaining ten percent is that you are killed by something else." Number Two sighed: "Don’t be disheartened; fate is not unchanging."

"I shouldn’t have asked you in the first place." Han Fei pushed Number Two as they organized all the players’ clearance information in the Central Square. A few hours later, a man wrapped entirely in a black robe stealthily slipped next to Han Fei.

"Han Fei, can we choose a less crowded place for our next meeting?" Shen Luo’s voice came out from beneath the black robe. He was extremely cautious, afraid of being recognized by other players.

"What have you done that’s so heinous?" Han Fei was also surprised, as the faint butterfly pattern flashed on Shen Luo’s face, a clear sign of being a lackey of the Dream!

"It’s so difficult for me..." Shen Luo’s voice was tearful: "Every time I try to rescue those players who enter nightmares with me, I end up injuring them severely. I keep receiving rewards from the nightmare, but the Inevitable Truth and super guilds like Commerce Alliance seem to be hunting me down! They want to kill me even before handling the nightmare! We are born from the same root, why such haste to harm one another!"

"How about this, why don’t you consider helping the nightmare next time? Stop helping the players?" Han Fei thought Shen Luo should have a different perspective.

"No way, although the butterfly pattern is on me, my heart is still with the players!" Shen Luo’s tone was firm, and then he saw Number Two sitting in the wheelchair: "Where did you pick up this child? Was he abandoned by his family? We are doing something very dangerous right now, it’s best not to involve him."

The children in the Blood-colored Orphanage were all homeless orphans, and Shen Luo could always unintentionally touch the scars in the hearts of ghosts and monsters.

Fortunately, Number Two had a different temperament from Xu Qin. Always able to see the essence of things, Number Two quietly clutched the sides of his wheelchair and stayed away from Shen Luo.

To avoid revealing Shen Luo’s presence, Han Fei led them into the private box prepared in advance by Huang Ying, located underground in the task hall of the Central Building, Huang Ying’s personal room.

Closing the door, Huang Ying, who had been waiting for a while, retrieved a tray from the safe with nineteen black and white fragments on it.

"Earlier you asked me to keep an eye on these, I informed the major guilds and managed to acquire this many," Huang Ying used his Money Ability: "Those guilds must still have some, as they also want to understand the purpose of these, after all, they’re special items brought out from the nightmare."

"Imitation Black Box fragments?" Number Two casually picked up a black and white fragment: "The Dream is truly a heartless Madman, trapping people in nightmares, repeatedly stimulating them with their most painful and hopeless memories for decades, just to obtain such a small fragment."

"I really don’t understand, why does the Dream desire the Black Box so much?" Han Fei frowned at those black and white fragments, each one representing a person’s entire life.

"You should know this better than I do," Number Two didn’t clearly state as he attempted to piece the fragments together: "The number is still too few. Continue acquiring fragments; we don’t have much time. If you can’t buy them, then steal and rob them, then blame it on the Dream. Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures."

"Do you need me to take action?" Shen Luo felt that his current reputation suited taking the blame.

"I’m just providing you with a perspective," Number Two said, sitting in his wheelchair, looking at the three in front of him: "The fate of the Dream intersects with all three of you; I guess it’s just its bad luck."

Smiling, Number Two picked up a piece of paper from the table, folding it into three paper airplanes with his own blood: "From now on, keep the paper airplanes on you, and I need you guys to continuously challenge different dreams, the more difficult, the better."

"Is it that simple?" Shen Luo held the paper airplane: "Like playing house?"

"You can leave now. I need to consolidate the clearance information of four million players to figure out the operating rules of the nightmare." Number Two impatiently waved his hand, with an expression seemingly saying—hurry and leave, don’t pollute my sight.

Leaving Number Two in the box, Han Fei and the others went to the Shrine furthest from the Happiness Community.

"Brother Han, why are we meeting at Inevitable Truth instead of at your Happiness Community?"

"Because we can’t put all our eggs in one basket. You and I are the hope of all players, so it’s best to act separately usually."

"Makes sense."

The three held hands as they entered the gray mist, moving forward constantly.

After clearing the ninth layer of the nightmare, Han Fei was getting closer to the Shrine within the building. They passed through the corridor and entered the stairway, going up layer by layer until darkness fell.

Once the feeling of weightlessness vanished, Han Fei, Shen Luo, and Huang Ying appeared in the same room; this was the tenth layer of the nightmare!

Unlike the fifth layer nightmare in memory, the completely sealed room didn’t have beds; instead, there were two Shrines.

The Shrine on the left had its Divine Door tightly closed, looking relatively ordinary; the one on the right had its Divine Door ajar, through which a twisted and deformed God Statue inside the Shrine was vaguely visible.

The God Statue imprisoned inside the Shrine was severely damaged, wrapped in blackened Red Rope, with neck, head, and limbs pierced by Evil Weapons.

"It’s time to make a choice again, choose the intact Shrine on the left, or the right one that looks cruel and horrifying?" Huang Ying frowned, contemplating, eventually deciding to heed Han Fei’s advice: "There are no hints in the room, what do you think we should choose?"

"I think it’s better to let Shen Luo choose first." Han Fei was grateful to be here with Shen Luo this time; after Shen Luo made a choice, he and Huang Ying would choose the other option.