Just as Fatty considered this horrifying possibility, he suddenly heard another familiar voice coming from the phone—
"Hello, here to return a book."
The sa voice again!
In that instant, Fatty suddenly realized why the instance didn't directly duplicate the ga's content but, instead, took the extra step of inserting them into the video ga. It was because soone among the players was playing this ga on a computer! If the three of them were save points, then the one actively playing the ga could only be Gu Mian!
Listening to that familiar voice from the phone, Fatty wondered, so that creepy woman was actually the Doctor?
At this thought, the terrifying image of the woman in Fatty's mind suddenly seed a bit more amiable.
Chu Changge looked towards the doorway.
The emaciated woman stood there at the entrance, her withered hand extending to offer a black-covered book.
Just like the previous tis, he walked over and took the book without hesitation.
Including the previous four, this was already the fifth book.
This ti, the woman at the door didn't leave imdiately.
On Gu Mian's screen, four words appeared: *Save successful*. He stared at them for a mont.
He had just escaped from a grotesque monster and imdiately went to the nearest save point to save his progress.
He had always been extrely unlucky, often getting disconnected right after acquiring an item while gaming. This had led him to develop the good habit of saving frequently. He noted the system ssage: *"This save point is already full. If you want to save again, you will need to overwrite one of the existing saves."*
So far, I've only found three save points, he then mused. It seems this ga only has these three...
The save point Gu Mian was currently at was located near a crossroads.
So far, he had found three save points: one at his current location by the crossroads, one on a filthy street, and the last one next to a large, dilapidated residential area.
These save points looked identical. All were very small storefronts, only about two ters wide at the entrance, and pitch-black inside, making it impossible to see anything.
Still, Gu Mian mused, still looking at the *'Save successful'* ssage on the screen, these three save points each have their own distinct personalities.
The one he was currently at always saved smoothly, never lagging. Clicking 'save' would result in success in less than two seconds, like an obedient puppy.
Gu Mian particularly liked saving here, so this save point quickly filled up its five save slots.
The one on the street, however, had been laggy from the start. It often took several seconds, sotis even over ten seconds, to save successfully. Gu Mian would have to click frantically multiple tis to get it to work, but at least it would eventually save.
The final one, next to the residential area, was downright rebellious. The first ti Gu Mian tried to save there, it failed. It took over ten clicks, mashing the button repeatedly, before a save was finally successful. It was as uncooperative as a courtesan refusing a client; this save point was truly out of control.
Just then, Gu Mian noticed another line of text appear on his computer screen:
*[This save point has reached its maximum of five save slots and cannot continue saving. Use a lighter to destroy all data at this save point to regain five save slots.]*
*[Use Lighter?]*
At this mont, Chu Changge saw the woman at the door suddenly raise her hand. She was holding a lighter.
CLICK.
Fatty thought he heard sothing through the phone that sounded like a lighter igniting.
He clutched the phone and asked in confusion, "Brother Chu, is the Doctor with you? Is he holding a lighter?"
No one responded. The other end of the line fell silent.
If not for the sound of the wind howling through the receiver, Fatty would have thought Chu Changge had hung up.
This eerie silence persisted for a long ti, with only the sound of the wind leaking from the phone. Fatty called out his na a few more tis, but there was no response.
A huge wave of fear suddenly shot up from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Gripping the phone tightly, Fatty asked nervously, "Brother Chu? Brother Chu? Are you still there?"
After a long pause, a voice finally ca from the phone again: "I'm here."
Hearing the familiar voice, Fatty imdiately let out a long sigh of relief and relaxed. "You didn't say anything! I thought sothing had happened. What was going on over there?"
Chu Changge paused for a mont before speaking. "I think our only danger cos from Gu Mian."
By now, Gu Mian had left the save point at the crossroads, the lighter still clutched in his hand. I still need this thing for illumination, he thought. Without a lighter, the visibility in this ga will drop considerably. It's surprising that a ga with such low visibility could devise the clever idea of using a light source to destroy save points.
Still, this was the first ti Gu Mian had encountered a ga that allowed you to destroy an entire save point.
Other gas either provided countless save slots at a single save point or allowed you to overwrite saves freely.
This ga, however, was different. It actually let you destroy the entire thing. That design choice was highly unreasonable.
It's as if it desperately wants the save points to be completely annihilated. Gu Mian frowned at the thought. What benefit is there for the ga in completely destroying a save point?
Gu Mian mumbled to himself, his thoughts turning to Chu Changge and the others.
The ti in the top-right corner of the screen read 7:50 PM.
He had been in this ga for nearly two hours.
In those two hours, he had explored almost the entire ga map but hadn't found any trace of his three teammates.
Not only had he failed to find them, but he had also encountered a monster bound in leg chains.
Given that the character he controlled didn't seem skilled in combat, Gu Mian could only flee. During the escape, however, the monster still managed to graze him, causing a slight decrease in the health bar in the top-left corner.
"This is so strange," Gu Mian thought as he maneuvered his character through a field of ruins. "Never mind where Chu Changge and the others went. I've searched the entire map, but the plot hasn't progressed at all. I haven't found any secret rooms or the exit. Was my search not thorough enough?"
The only distinctive feature in this ga was its three idiosyncratic save points.
As Gu Mian pondered, he spotted the save point next to the residential area.
This was the most difficult one to save at.
Seeing this save point, an idea suddenly struck Gu Mian. He controlled his character to walk forward and selected 'save'.
Unexpectedly, saving at this point went incredibly smoothly this ti, as if it had undergone a complete change in temperant.
anwhile, 007 had just taken the book from the woman's hand.
Fatty had already learned the current situation from a phone call: the woman standing before 007 was, in all likelihood, the ga character Gu Mian was controlling.
Furthermore, it seed Gu Mian could directly destroy them—the save points.
007 stared at the woman before him. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, but how could he possibly inform Gu Mian that the three of them had beco save points? How could they possibly communicate with Gu Mian?
While 007 was wrestling with this conundrum, the woman at the door had already turned and left.
At that mont, Gu Mian was heading towards the next save point.
Gu Mian mumbled to himself, "I'm playing a ga. My three teammates have disappeared, and I can't find them anywhere. There are three save points in this ga, and each one has its own personality..."
"If these save points really are them transford," Gu Mian continued to muse, "then I'm truly screwed."
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