C18 The Existence of the Whale

"You really are... practical," Lin Chuan mused, finally settling on a word that seemed fitting.

A smile played at the corners of his mouth; he was at a loss for words.

"Let's just forget about the event over there. We can have a good chat instead," Lin Chuan suggested, shifting his focus away. The unexpected appearance of the "whale" had taken him by surprise, but he suspected there was more to the story than what was apparent.

They had always said that the "whale" wouldn't show up at such events...

Taking a deep breath, Lin Chuan noted that the venue's event had kicked off. Standing apart from the crowd, they seemed like mere onlookers.

"What if the event offers a nice gift, would you still not want to go?" Lin Chuan asked with a chuckle, struck by a sudden thought.

"No, I really can't stand crowded places," Xie Yu replied after a brief hesitation, his aversion to the hustle and bustle ultimately outweighing the allure of the game's rewards.

"You're quite young, in your twenties. Why such an aversion to lively places?" Lin Chuan inquired, his curiosity piqued.

At the question, Xie Yu hesitated. It would be difficult to explain the true reason.

He couldn't very well admit that he had transformed himself into a semi-digital entity to evade the man manipulating the world from behind the system, worried about encountering unexpected issues amidst the crowd...

Perhaps Lin Chuan mistook his prolonged silence for reluctance to answer, so he smoothly transitioned to discussing the game.

"My brother's also into this game," Lin Chuan mentioned.

Xie Yu nodded. Reveler World was immensely popular, and except for his ulterior motives delaying his participation, most young people had accounts.

"It's great when you can team up with your brother. I usually play solo since my own brother is too busy with work to join in much," Lin Chuan reflected.

Xie Yu's gaze drifted to the central stage. He had been away for quite some time, but Soong Mu, aware of his preference for solitude over social scenes, would likely surmise the reason for his prolonged absence.

Among the throng, countless eyes watched. Conceivably, one of those pairs of eyes could belong to the very person he was wary of.

At the heart of the event, "Whale" remained in her simple white gown, her hair cascading over her left shoulder and onto her lap. It was so long that it constantly trailed on the ground, much to her displeasure.

Despite being a mere digital creation, "Whale" was aware that she had begun to develop a faint consciousness, one that urged her to learn from the behaviors of those she encountered. She was diligently working towards that goal.

Her existence, however, was fleeting—lasting less than a second each day. She scarcely had time to discern who was responsible for ending her life.

Now, seated amidst the crowd, she was truly seeing the humans before her for the first time.

Were these the beings who had created her?

"Whale's" gaze drifted subtly, unnoticed by the onlookers. This simulated entity was silently scrutinizing them.

"The man in gray has such an odd smile. Why does he smile like that? It's inconsistent with the database's typical human expressions of joy."

"The woman in red... she seems quite taken with the game... Is she... about to leap forward?"

"That young man looks rather awkward, yet his movements are swift. Such speed is uncommon for humans with his build in the database."

"The man to the left, dressed in athletic gear, must be a sports enthusiast, judging by a comprehensive analysis."

"Whale's" eyes flitted across the attendees, pausing on each face for no more than two seconds. Her neck remained still; her expression, unchanged—only her gaze flickered.

"Next up, we'll be launching synchronized activities within the game. Stay tuned and we hope you'll join us," announced the host, gripping the microphone with palpable excitement, his voice booming.

"I find the in-game activities more intriguing than these external ones," Xie Yu remarked, legs crossed, as he glanced towards the suddenly amplified voice, his interest waning.

"I feel the same," Lin Chuan nodded in agreement with Xie Yu.

"By the way, do you have any insights into 'Whale's' existence?" Xie Yu inquired abruptly, his curiosity piqued.

At the mention of "Whale," Lin Chuan's expression shifted subtly. Xie Yu, however, was preoccupied with the stage and missed the fleeting change.

"The Whale is just a special NPC in the game; there's no need to shroud her in mystery," Lin Chuan said casually. "She might appear as a young girl or an ugly goblin—it's all down to the creator's preference."

Xie Yu felt that something was amiss, yet after pondering it, he ultimately chose to remain silent.

"I'm simply curious about the developers' rationale for such NPC design. If they wanted to make the Whale a renowned character, they could tweak her existence mechanism. Otherwise, why bother creating a beautiful, gentle girl? Especially now that they've brought her out as an event host to meet players."

Xie Yu found himself quite taken with Lin Chuan, whom he was meeting for the first time. Besides, his question wasn't taboo; similar queries had been floated by many on the game forums.

Here he was, a player grappling with the same puzzle, and Lin Chuan was a member of the game's staff. Seizing the chance to inquire seemed perfectly reasonable and not at all out of place.

"I've seen the discussions on the forum about what you're asking," Lin Chuan said as she stretched, her silhouette briefly curving. Resting her head on her hand, she continued, "Some speculate it's a dull Easter egg, with a loophole waiting to be exploited. Whoever rescues the Whale could supposedly win a massive prize from the game company. Others think it's a spiteful joke, perhaps born from a game developer scorned by an ex-girlfriend, leading him to create a character to be killed off daily in the game."

"And then there's the most outlandish and amusing theory: that the game company never intended to provide weapon points to players, planning instead to profit through sales. Allegedly, fearing backlash, they begrudgingly implemented the weapon point system but spitefully introduced the Whale to vex players."

Lin Chuan chuckled before concluding, "All these theories are false. The true reason is known by very few."