Ming Po was led into the car by Zhuang Yan. He sat in the back seat, with Shen Yiqi following closely behind to sit next to him.
"You'll need to wear this."
Shen Yiqi handed Ming Po a device that looked just like a motorcycle helt.
"...What is this?"
Ming Po took it, a bit hesitant. "This isn't so kind of brainwashing device, is it?"
Of course, Ming Po was only joking.
He naturally understood that the Chinese Chamber of Comrce would never let him know the location of their base in the Material Realm... That was perfectly normal. If Ming Po had established an organization, he wouldn't let anyone know its true location either.
Knowing their exact coordinates in the Material Realm would an opening themselves up to Confrontations through traps, snipers, or surveillance. "Consider this..."
Hearing this, the elderly Zhuang Yan turned around with a profound look in his eyes. "...a small demonstration of the technology our organization can offer."
Ming Po raised an eyebrow.
He simply and cleanly put the helt on.
There was truly nothing to be afraid of.
Because Ming Po hadn't changed anything. Every word and action of his had been perfectly modeled after his true personality... Aside from his conversation with Shen Yiqi, nothing else would be any different.
In other words, this was the history of the "real world."
It was also what had happened to Ming Po before he died.
Whether it was Zhuang Yan or Shen Yiqi, they both already shared causality with Ming Po. If he were killed by them, Ming Po wouldn't be able to beco one of the Wronged Dead.
And in the original ending of this history, Ming Po was supposed to die, and then beco a Deceiver of the World two months later... Since that was the case, what did he have to fear? If anything, Ming Po should be afraid of not dying.
Ming Po was genuinely curious about how the Chinese Chamber of Comrce managed to mass-produce the Wronged Dead.
This directly affected the organization's "talent recruitnt." Without mastering this technology, a Deceiver of the World organization could essentially only expand by poaching people face-to-face.
Yet the Chinese Chamber of Comrce clearly found the talent they needed directly from within the Material Realm... They could even provide crucial intelligence in advance so that the Deceivers they recruited wouldn't fall into traps.
...Besides, taking a step back.
Both Zhuang Yan and Shen Yiqi were clearly very friendly toward Ming Po.
Even though they were both quite unhinged, their attitude toward a "newcor" was amicable. Naturally, this might also be due to Ming Jingxing's influence... but none of that mattered anymore.
Because the mont Ming Po put on the helt, he was absolutely mind-blown.
The instant he slipped it over his head, his consciousness was stripped away.
Imdiately after, a familiar opening screen appeared.
A sowhat grimy blood vial, and the dripping sound of a single drop of fresh blood falling.
Then, a dark, Gothic architectural complex.
"...Bloodborne?!"
Ming Po blurted out.
A clear thought popped into his head—
...No way, right?
After the lengthy cutscene ended, Ming Po saw himself lying on an operating table.
It was the exact starting point of Bloodborne.
Ming Po looked down and clenched his fists, realizing his strength was roughly the sa as in reality.
He looked left and right; everything was incredibly realistic. If not for a sort of cinematic, dim filter, Ming Po would have genuinely believed this was reality. He suddenly threw a forceful punch to his left—because Shen Yiqi had been sitting to his left.
Ming Po's fist whistled as it tore through the air.
If his movents affected the real world, he definitely would have beaten Shen Yiqi black and blue by now.
However, Ming Po felt zero force feedback in his hand.
Ming Po tried reaching for his temples, mimicking the motion of 'wanting to take off the helt,' but that didn't work either.
How do I leave?
Ming Po pondered for a mont and suddenly realized there was a new "switch" in his consciousness.
He was actually quite familiar with this sensation.
It was like after working out, when your pectoral muscles were strengthened to the point where you could make them flex with just a thought. Before Ming Po started working out, his brain had been completely incapable of controlling that specific muscle.
Like operating an extra organ, Ming Po manipulated his "consciousness" to return.
Only then did he truly "open his eyes," realizing he still had a softly beeping helt on his head and feeling the steady movent of the car beneath him. Ming Po reached out to take off the helt, but Shen Yiqi blocked his hand.
"...My god, Ming Po, are you so kind of genius?"
Shen Yiqi's shocked voice rang out. "I purposely didn't teach you how to log out..."
"Play for a little while longer, Xiao Po."
Old Zhuang chuckled from the front. "Or do you not like this ga? We can change it. I'll have Little Shen find a different one for you."
"...Is this virtual reality technology?"
Ming Po was sowhat in disbelief. "Is the organization's technology already this advanced?"
Looking at Shen Yiqi's reaction, Ming Po instantly realized that even though his entire body was moving in the ga just now, he hadn't moved a muscle in reality. This ant their technology could completely, portably, and safely isolate consciousness... or at least block the brain's commands to the limbs.
Was this also... the Paradoxical Technology of the Chinese Chamber of Comrce?
"Of course, this was made by Uncle Mario from the Chamber. It's still in the testing phase, though, so it's all just 'ports'. You get it now, right? This is what we an by 'the future is coming, the future is already here'."
Shen Yiqi spoke with pride. "But stop saying 'the organization'. Just say 'the Chamber' normally. Calling it 'the organization' makes us sound like so kind of cri syndicate..."
"I'll explain everything once we arrive," Zhuang Yan's voice grew a bit more serious. "Just play a little longer."
"...Alright."
Ming Po gave a slight nod, flipped that switch in his mind once again, and imrsed himself back into this "ga of the future."
This ti, he also tried taking damage.
When injured, there was a highly realistic sensation of pain... though it seed to be sowhat isolated.
Because Ming Po knew that with this level of a tearing wound, the "intense agony" should be followed by a sensation of limb numbness due to blood loss, and the brain would beco uncontrollably hyped from adrenaline secretion. After that, there should be lingering pain, and he should feel it when the wound was pulled or when the wind blew against the exposed flesh... but none of those things happened.
There was only the "pain at the mont of injury," and once that sharp sting passed, there was no follow-up.
Not only was there no lingering pain... but crucially, the surge of excitent from hormone secretion after an injury was completely absent.
After finishing his tests, Ming Po casually took out that werewolf.
Since the protagonist hadn't acquired any weapons at this stage, it took a bit longer to deal with it... but unlike the actual ga, Ming Po could pick up a nearby IV stand and use it as a weapon.
For Ming Po, this was more than enough.
Next, logically speaking, he was supposed to die once...
According to the ga's progression, the werewolf was supposed to kill Ming Po, allowing him to get his weapons and level up normally. It was a scripted death, except Ming Po had just killed it straight away, skipping that step.
Just as Ming Po was leisurely strolling through the city, trying to find a decent-looking monster to let himself get killed...
He suddenly heard a voice right by his ear.
"—We're here, co on out."
It was Shen Yiqi's voice.
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