C11 A Fierce and Nimble Sword

"Be careful!" Jing Zhe hadn't anticipated that this time, upon encountering an NPC, it would be Xie Yu who charged ahead first.

In past dangers, he'd remained at the back due to his modest level and force value. Jing Zhe had kept silent about it, as their roles were well-defined: Xie Yu tackled the decryption challenges within the dungeon, while she handled the NPCs and lesser monsters. It was unexpected to see him take the lead.

She couldn't afford to lose him, especially if a complex puzzle arose that required some serious brainpower—she wasn't confident she could crack it on her own.

Then again, Xie Yu's demise would be acceptable, but only after all the puzzles were solved!

With a light tap of his foot, Jing Zhe surged forward, intent on rescuing Xie Yu before his recklessness got the better of him. He simply couldn't let him perish like that!

The rapier, inherently a weapon of speed, complemented Jing Zhe's choice to enhance his speed-related abilities. Agile and swift, he caught up to Xie Yu, who had only covered half the distance, and effortlessly overtook him.

"Step back, I've got this!"

As Jing Zhe whizzed past Xie Yu, the latter caught nothing but a breeze-like whisper before the white crescent of Jing Zhe's robe and the Ring Blade materialized in front of him. Xie Yu didn't break stride; instead, he accelerated even more.

As a glitch in the world, an anomaly beyond the game's data, Xie Yu's strength could be instantly amplified when necessary. However, this posed a risk of exposure. Should the system implement a detection program for semi-data entities like him, he would be pinpointed and eliminated in an instant.

His ultimate goal was never out of sight. Through this game linked to the world system, he sought a breach in the data realm to turn back time to the old days—a world where everyone experienced genuine emotions, unlike the present, where every being was a product of data.

In today's world, emotions are artificial, simulated; pain is mimicked, tears are mere data—incapable of dampening the pages of a book or a letter.

In a world where the outside was bursting with color and dreams were easily fulfilled, it no longer held any appeal for Xie Yu. It wasn't the world he desired anymore.

Once the subject of great expectations, Xie Yu was now the sole survivor of the last group of people in the laboratory. If he were to forget, if he chose to become fully digitized, then no one would remain to remember the world as it once was. That was a future he refused to accept.

As he charged at the puppet doll, Xie Yu's mind raced with thoughts. After all, this was just a game, and with a level 35 martial artist like Jing Zhe at his side, there was no need for him to exert his full strength.

He knew that Jing Zhe wouldn't stand by and let him act recklessly. Jing Zhe's force value was unusually high, a fact that intrigued Xie Yu.

Reveler World, a game dependent on the main world system, shouldn't have had such glitches. With a vast player base and a considerable history, the forums had long since established what a level 35 martial artist should be capable of. Yet, Jing Zhe's force value far surpassed any standard.

His strength was so great that he could disregard the game's logic, cleaving open a password-protected box to retrieve the key inside. Xie Yu now grasped why Equinox had said that Jing Zhe's previous victories were won by sheer force, without any need for solving puzzles or acquiring tools. Against overwhelming power, such logic was meaningless.

Why ponder over decryption methods when one could simply slice open the box and claim the key?

If the final gateway to success lay before them in Sun Square, they could already claim a flawless victory.

Jing Zhe was an anomaly, and Xie Yu wasn't about to let this chance slip by. Perhaps Jing Zhe held the key to breaking through the system's constraints.

Xie Yu was determined to uncover the source of power that allowed Jing Zhe to exhibit a level of strength beyond what a level 35 player should possess.

Two identical little girls, manipulated by puppeteer's strings, advanced with rigid limbs. This time, the NPCs shimmered with a metallic sheen, their appearances even more puppet-like, suggesting a change in material.

The last two were masters of deception. Without the final merge, Xie Yu and Jing Zhe wouldn't have realized those little girls were actually puppets.

Skin and eyes indistinguishable from humans, a troubling byproduct of digitization. A mere game could now create biological puppets, indistinguishable from real humans.

What would happen to the world if, one day, the system evolved true intelligence, awakening to humanity? It's beyond anyone's ability to foresee.

Such a scenario would spell absolute catastrophe. No one could be certain if their comrades-in-arms or colleagues were just 'puppets' spawned by the system.

Regardless of the promises made by the one controlling the system, Xie Yu didn't trust a word.

Jing Zhe had surged ahead, and Xie Yu, unable to match her pace, could only trail behind, offering guidance on the puppet strings' paths. He keenly observed that their origin was at the heart of Sun Square.

"The puppet strings originate from the center of the square. Sun Square truly is the nexus of the instance!"

"Understood. I'm on it."

Jing Zhe acknowledged, severing the hands of the two girls with her slender sword. The clangor resounded; Xie Yu's suspicions were confirmed – the puppets were metallic, with only their heads retaining a human-like appearance, their bodies sheathed in metal.

The Ring Blade, still unenhanced, was no match for such metal constructs. But Jing Zhe didn't dwell on that, wielding her slender sword with the force of a greatsword. Both the previous flesh-like bodies and the current metal forms were utterly demolished by her razor-sharp blade.

The puppet dolls bore the marks of her swordsmanship, their four arms snapped, and one leg from each puppet severed, leaving them incapable of standing.

"Such a formidable slender sword..."

Xie Yu couldn't help but marvel from behind. A player like Jing Zhe was undoubtedly among the elite in Reveler World.

Once outside, he'd make sure to add her as a friend. Teaming up next time would be a no-brainer. With such a formidable ally, conquering levels would surely be a breeze...

Xie Yu stroked his chin, quietly strategizing his escape from the upcoming dungeon.