INSIDER Chapter 88

Lu Chu sorted through his thoughts.

After listening to Song Gui, Lu Chu roughly understood what he was trying to convey.

As everyone knew, the content of each day’s illusion in the “Rules” was different. The time cycle for the illusion replacement was twenty-four hours. Under these circumstances, when someone’s bracelet had enough time left to allow them to stay in the illusion for more than twenty-four hours, they would likely experience the moment of the illusion’s replacement.

And at that very moment, there was an opportunity to escape the game.

Thinking about this, Lu Chu first thought of 7, who had completed all the solo tasks.

Lu Chu didn’t know how many solo tasks there were in the “Game”, but considering it had been so long that 7 had forgotten his own name, the number must be unimaginable to Lu Chu. Thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands were not impossible.

If that was the case, assuming 7 was once a player and not the so-called “Cleaner,” he must have been able to stay in the illusion of his “Rule” for more than twenty-four hours. So why hadn’t 7 escaped the “Rules” and the “Game”?

Was it because the method Song Gui mentioned was incorrect and unreliable, or were there other necessary conditions for escaping?

It seemed he would have to ask 7 carefully about this matter the next time he saw him in the “Game.”

Meanwhile, Yuan Kejie, Luo Qi, and Qian Zhen were deep in thought.

Twenty-four hours, which was one thousand four hundred and forty minutes when converted to minutes, required surviving through how many “Games” to accumulate such a time?

They had never considered this issue before.

Luo Qi frowned and tossed the brick in her hand, saying, “So, we need to complete more than ten or even twenty group tasks to meet the requirement?”

Yuan Kejie worriedly said, “Surviving that many ‘Games’ is already a big challenge.”

After being informed of this potential way to escape, they were both excited and worried—concerned not only about whether they could accumulate twenty-four hours of time but also about the possibility that the information was false, turning their hopes of a beautiful future into nothing but an illusion.

Song Gui rubbed his fingers slowly as if pondering something, then looked at everyone and said, “But we can’t just casually take on group tasks. Some are too difficult, and challenging them recklessly will only lead to a group wipe. The prerequisite for earning more time rewards is that you’re still alive. Once you’re dead, nothing else matters.”

Lu Chu thought for a moment and then asked the question that was nagging him, “You just said that at the twenty-four-hour illusion replacement node, there’s a chance to escape. But what exactly is the method to escape? Do we just stand in the illusion and watch the scenes change?”

Yuan Kejie also chimed in, “I wanted to ask the same thing. Is this game a real-life game where you automatically clear it by accumulating twenty-four hours?”

Song Gui shook his head, “The specific situation is still unclear. We have a long way to go before we accumulate enough time, so we need to collect some data during each ‘Game.'”

“Collect data?” Yuan Kejie was even more puzzled, “What data, and how do we collect it?”

Song Gui’s expression changed slightly, and he asked everyone seriously, “What do you think the people living in the ‘Game’ are like?”

Lu Chu was taken aback.

Luo Qi succinctly said, “NPCs.”

Qian Zhen thought for a moment and replied, “Mass-produced clones.”

Yuan Kejie pondered for a while before saying, “It’s hard to describe, but they must be fake, not real beings.”

Song Gui smiled lightly, “Not real? I don’t think so.”

As he said this, he glanced at Lu Chu as if he had discerned something, then continued, “I don’t know if they are mass-produced. They might indeed be NPCs set by the ‘Rules,’ but it’s certain that they have their own thinking abilities, a relatively complete life system, and normal emotions and feelings.”

Yuan Kejie realized, “Indeed, sometimes I even get affected by their emotions, which is strange since they’re not real people.”

“How can you be so sure they aren’t real?” Song Gui countered, “They have flesh and blood, thoughts, and follow laws.”

Yuan Kejie was momentarily speechless.

Song Gui looked at Lu Chu, “Lu Xiaochu, what do you think?”

Lu Chu met his gaze, feeling that Song Gui seemed to have figured something out.

Lu Chu answered, “The people in the ‘Game’ are real.”

Song Gui smiled, “Real?”

“Yes,” Lu Chu said with certainty, “They live traceable lives, have their own stories, and experience joys and sorrows, births and deaths… So, they should have the right to be called real ‘people.'”

This right was not granted by the “Rules” or anything else but was created by the people themselves.

“I think so too,” Song Gui smiled, “So, when people in the ‘Game’ start realizing they are in an absurd and fake world, they begin to resist.”

“For example,” Lu Chu said gravely, “finding a way to escape?”

“Exactly.” Song Gui nodded, “In the thousands or even tens of thousands of ‘Games,’ there will always be a few who discover things they shouldn’t know and start to resist their predetermined fate, trying to change it.”

This “predetermined fate” for Lu Chu referred to being lost or even dying in the citywide sense loss.

At this point, Yuan Kejie also understood Song Gui’s point and added, “So, you want us to find those who have ‘discovered things they shouldn’t know’ during our tasks to find a way to escape the ‘Game’?”

Song Gui nodded, “Yes.”

Qian Zhen nodded repeatedly, “I think I get it.”

Lu Chu couldn’t help but think of Wang Po from the “Cutting Snake” ‘Game.’ Was she one of those few who had discovered something?

As everyone pondered, Song Gui continued, “I haven’t found the next suitable group task yet. When I do, I’ll inform everyone. For now, let’s each choose a solo task to complete. And whenever an illusion appears, we’ll meet like this. Hopefully, every time we meet, there will still be five of us and not one less.”

Knowing the dangers of the “Game,” life and death were unpredictable.

Luo Qi sneered, “Even if you die, I’ll be fine.”

Lu Chu said, “I’ll be careful.”

Yuan Kejie quickly added, “Me too.”

Qian Zhen nodded affirmatively.

———

After discussing survival methods and fighting techniques for a while, Lu Chu’s time in the illusion was almost up.

Seeing only ten minutes left on his bracelet, Lu Chu said to the others, “I should go now.”

Song Gui immediately stood up, “I’ll see you off.”

Seeing that Song Gui wanted to talk to him alone, Lu Chu didn’t refuse, “Thank you.”

The other three continued discussing combat techniques.

When they reached the door on the wide sports field, Lu Chu had only two minutes left on his bracelet.

Lu Chu stopped and looked at Song Gui, “Is there something you want to say?”

Song Gui smiled softly and mouthed four words to Lu Chu—

Citywide sense loss.

The moment Lu Chu recognized the words, his eyes widened in surprise.

Song Gui continued, “I once experienced a very memorable ‘Game’ with that name. I can’t explain the specific content due to ‘Rule’ censorship, so let me tell you a short story instead.”

He then narrated the story as if recounting a tale, “It was a very dangerous ‘Game.’ During it, a kind young man helped me. Before the sense loss outbreak, he helped me map out the town. I still remember his face, very similar to yours. Unfortunately, he eventually went blind and died in the chaos of the city’s sense loss and the collapse of order.”

“His name,” Song Gui paused, looking directly at Lu Chu with a smile, “was also—Lu Chu.”

Already sensitive to the words “Citywide sense loss,” Lu Chu felt a chill down his spine, an eerie, bone-chilling cold.

Song Gui continued, “That Lu Chu had both parents, was healthy, but did not have any enhanced senses. After the sense loss, he lost his sight and hearing. On the second day, while searching for food, he was trampled to death.”

At that moment, Lu Chu’s bracelet showed only a few seconds left.

Seeing this, Song Gui gently pushed Lu Chu into the door and smiled, “Go, don’t waste any time. And stay alive. I’ll wait for your return.”

Lu Chu turned back, and his last impression of Song Gui was him smiling and waving, saying:

“Then tell me who you are and what you’ve been through.”