Cultivating in Online Games

Chapter 81 - Maybe There Is

As soon as this thought arose, Ye Zhou shook his head.

What am I thinking? Dugu Zhuo has appeared on the system announcements countless times. Even if players can’t tell the difference between a player and an NPC, surely the system can?

But something still felt strange…

Noticing Ye Zhou’s suspicious gaze, Dugu Zhuo walked over and asked, “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Ye Zhou nervously stared at Dugu Zhuo. The more he looked, the more he felt that Dugu Zhuo’s face was far more attractive than any NPC he’d ever seen in the game. Moreover, Dugu Yue, the character in the main storyline, was supposed to be an NPC created long ago by the game company, yet he resembled Dugu Zhuo a lot.

Before Dugu Zhuo took over Xiaobao’s identity, he wasn’t even supposed to be Dugu Yue’s son.

Ye Zhou, in a joking manner, said, “Nothing, I just suddenly remembered the first time we met. I even mistook you for an NPC, it was so funny. That was my mistake, right?”

Dugu Zhuo, skilled at guiding others with words, usually had a way to dispel any doubts. Ye Zhou thought that as long as he asked, Dugu Zhuo would have a way to reassure him.

But this time, Dugu Zhuo didn’t answer. Instead, he looked at Ye Zhou seriously and earnestly.

Ye Zhou started to panic. He said, “I gave you my phone number before, and you never called. Is it because you draw a clear line between the game and real life? Is it because you can be my in-game friend, but you don’t want to meet in real life?”

Dugu Zhuo still remained silent.

Ye Zhou pressed on, “You… you’re especially familiar with the formations and skills in the game. You even taught me a strange cultivation method. Is that because… you might have once worked at the ‘Nine Heavens’ game company and know the game inside and out, including how to give full-dive instructions?”

Ye Zhou came up with every possible excuse for Dugu Zhuo. As long as Dugu Zhuo nodded, he would believe him.

But Dugu Zhuo didn’t answer. He just quietly looked at Ye Zhou, as if deep in thought.

Ye Zhou continued, “Before, you told me that the reason your in-game pain setting was at 100% was because your race couldn’t adjust the pain sensitivity. But now I’m also from a different race, and I can adjust my pain settings whenever I want. Does that mean you’re using some kind of cheat? Although the game company can’t detect it, the cheat prevents you from adjusting the pain, right?”

He had already used every bit of logic to explain all the inconsistencies.

Ye Zhou grabbed Dugu Zhuo’s arm, his voice filled with panic, “Just say yes, okay?”

But Dugu Zhuo shook his head. In a soft voice, he said, “I won’t lie to you.”

“Then… are you an NPC?” Ye Zhou asked.

Dugu Zhuo shook his head again.

Ye Zhou’s heart relaxed a little. He then asked, “Then what are you, really?”

Dugu Zhuo replied, “I can’t call you on the phone, I can’t add you on WeChat, and I can’t go to you in real life to take care of you. Just think of me as… a lonely soul trapped in the game.”

What does that mean? Is Dugu Zhuo a coma patient, and after his family put a gaming helmet on him, he realized he could survive in the game and has stayed there ever since?

Or could it be that Dugu Zhuo was once a programmer at the ‘Nine Heavens’ game company, who died suddenly at work, and his soul became a character in the game, bound to it like a ghost?

Or maybe the AI technology in the game has advanced so much that the in-game characters developed self-awareness, broke free from the game’s constraints, and now team up with players?

Ye Zhou recalled all the novels, anime, TV shows, and movies he’d seen, his mind racing with all sorts of possibilities.

Of course, these were just guesses. How could such fantastical things happen? Besides, none of it really affected his in-game experience with Dugu Zhuo.

He felt like he was digging too deep, and began to feel a bit guilty.

At this moment, Dugu Zhuo gently picked up a strand of Ye Zhou’s hair and dropped a soft kiss on it, his voice tender, “I’ll always be waiting for you in the game.”

All of Ye Zhou’s wild thoughts instantly vanished. He looked at Dugu Zhuo, took a slow step forward, wrapped his arms around Dugu Zhuo’s waist, and rested his head on his shoulder.

“Will I know someday?” Ye Zhou asked.

Dugu Zhuo chuckled softly. “Maybe there will be such a day.”

“Then… how can I…” How can I get to know you better? Ye Zhou didn’t finish his sentence.

Dugu Zhuo said, “Just keep playing the game. Keep moving forward, don’t die in the game, and continue with the main storyline. You’ll know one day.”

On the quiet mountaintop, Ye Zhou gently hugged Dugu Zhuo. No one disturbed them.

In the distance, a white tiger watched the two, their figures reflected in its eyes.

Memories flashed through the white tiger’s mind: Dugu Zhuo, cradling the heavily injured Ye Zhou, fought his way out of the Qingtian Sword Sect, injuring countless people and destroying the sect’s protective formation in the process.

It won’t happen again. The white tiger gently closed its eyes, deciding to forget the past and focus on watching over its statue.

No one knew how long they embraced. Once Ye Zhou’s emotions calmed, he blushed, unsure of how to explain his earlier emotional outburst.

Dugu Zhuo gently tucked a strand of Ye Zhou’s hair behind his ear and placed a light kiss on his cheek. His voice was soft, “Dugu Zhuo is fond of Ye Zhou.”

Ye Zhou’s mind exploded with a loud “boom.” He felt like he was about to burst, unable to think at all.

“Th-this… you… I… we…” Ye Zhou stammered, uttering incoherent words that made no sense.

Dugu Zhuo looked at Ye Zhou’s embarrassed expression and chuckled softly. He leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Did you see that? When I do these things in the game, the moderation system doesn’t block them.”

“!” Ye Zhou was so startled that he took a step back.

Behind him was a cliff, and he nearly fell over the edge. Dugu Zhuo extended his long arm and pulled Ye Zhou back into his embrace.

Ye Zhou’s eyes widened as he covered his face with his hands, still shaken, staring at Dugu Zhuo in shock.

“But I won’t do anything without reason,” Dugu Zhuo said. “I respect and honor you. Unless you give me permission, I would never act rudely toward you.”

He would just keep showing off his best side to attract Ye Zhou’s affection.

Seeing that Ye Zhou was still at a loss, Dugu Zhuo knew that the centuries that separated them would take time to bridge. They would need to cross that gap slowly.

He extended his hand toward Ye Zhou and, seeing the unsure expression in Ye Zhou’s eyes, curled his fingers and gently tapped Ye Zhou’s forehead. “Come on, let’s head to Tingyu Pavilion to inquire about the ownership of Tiger Roar Mountain.”

“Oh, oh!” Ye Zhou snapped out of his daze, silently berating himself for being so flustered.

“You should stay up on the mountain. I doubt you could get down anyway,” Dugu Zhuo turned toward the white tiger, his expression shifting instantly from gentle to cold.

The white tiger didn’t even open its eyes. It let out a deep purring sound, conveying its disinterest, as if saying, “I have no desire to go either.”

“Let’s go,” Dugu Zhuo extended his hand to Ye Zhou.

Ye Zhou, watching every perfectly calculated movement of Dugu Zhuo’s body and his flawless smile, found himself entranced and unconsciously reached out to take his hand.

Dugu Zhuo summoned his flying sword, holding Ye Zhou as they stepped onto it. The two of them flew from Tiger Roar Mountain toward Beining City.