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“Not worth it.”
After a long silence, Mo Qi sighed deeply.
His gaze fell upon the crystal box, now half-dyed with life. Fan Ting had forbidden Mo Qi from touching this box, but now, with the crucial task right before him, Mo Qi couldn’t avoid it.
His palm descended slowly toward the crystal box, only to find it gone.
Just as he was about to grasp it, the box vanished from Fan Ting’s hand, preventing Mo Qi from touching it.
Why did this happen?
Mo Qi’s hand hung in the air, his vision once again blurred.
Fan Ting’s memories flashed before Mo Qi’s eyes like scenes from a movie. Following the girl’s gaze, he “saw” a crystal box placed on a dormitory desk, and a person turning away.
The person appeared pixelated, their whole body indistinct. Mo Qi faintly sensed that Fan Ting knew who this person was, but couldn’t say. Even through this method, Mo Qi couldn’t see the person’s face clearly.
The person seemed to have said something. Fan Ting hesitated, then used a paper knife to nick her fingertip, letting a drop of blood fall onto the crystal box.
As the drop landed on the box, it slowly transformed into a red origami paper. Fan Ting picked up the paper and carefully wrote a sentence with a pen.
The memory abruptly ended there. Mo Qi snapped out of it, standing quietly in the exhibition hall.
At least now he knew where the red origami paper came from. It wasn’t all in vain after all. Mo Qi managed a bitter smile.
It’s already the second wish, yet this task remains blurry, the true face unseen.
On the other hand, the game app has updated with a new skill — Resonance.
[Resonance (Evolvable): Derived from the Gaze skill. When the recipient willingly responds to the player Mo Qi’s skill, the player Mo Qi can achieve emotional resonance with the recipient. This skill applies to all recipients, including individuals undergoing madness or intelligence reduction.]
[Negative Effect: During resonance, the player will gradually be replaced by the recipient of the gaze, oscillating between sanity and madness. Please be mindful of duration and depth when using.]
The skill name is noted to be evolvable, indicating it extends beyond emotional resonance to potentially stronger effects.
Setting aside the skill’s details for now, the most crucial task is to conclude this mission.
From Fan Ting’s incident, their suspicions were correct—there is indeed someone controlling the wishing box from behind the scenes. They hand the box to individuals with strong desires, harvesting their wishes and lives, accumulating the energy needed for true wishes.
The immediate priority is to find this person. Both tasks have been linked to Xiang Wansi, making her the prime suspect, but Fan Ting said it wasn’t Xiang Wansi.
Who else could it be? Who will be chosen next? Mo Qi leaned against the wall in the exhibition hall, deep in thought.
After a while, a counselor entered the hall. Without glancing at Mo Qi, he lifted Fan Ting’s body.
“Where are you taking her?” Mo Qi asked.
The counselor had the same face, voice, and emotionless eyes as the person who had taken away Ke Xiaoxi’s body before, only their clothes were different. Mo Qi couldn’t confirm if they were the same person.
Mo Qi’s skill had no effect on the counselor, but he still answered Mo Qi’s question: “A student has passed away from a heart attack. I will take care of her body.”
He used “take care of” instead of “bury.”
Mo Qi recalled Qi Qiaoyan. Qi Qiaoyan had remained hidden in the rockery for several hours after her death, with no one coming to collect her body. Why did Fan Ting, who had just passed away, have someone come to collect his body so soon?
“What about Lu Anhe? The student who committed suicide in the Ideological and Political Education Building, have you handled it?” Mo Qi asked.
“A classmate reported it over the phone, and it has been taken care of,” the counselor replied.
“How was it reported?”
“Students from our school report to counselors with details of the time, location, and informant, ensuring prompt handling,” the counselor stated.
“Who informed you that Fan Ting was here?” Mo Qi asked.
The counselor didn’t respond. Expressionless, he carried the body away.
Mo Qi felt that the counselor was merely a tool within the game, devoid of emotions and not intervening in the game itself, only responsible for cleaning up the scene.
Although she didn’t receive an answer, the counselor’s words provided a hint.
Ke Xiaoxi, Lu Anhe, and Fan Ting were all reported by students over the phone before the counselor came to handle them. Qi Qiaoyan died in a very hidden place within the rockery, discovered by Liao Ruxue but left unreported, hence no one came for her.
Ke Xiaoxi was reported by Guo Mingzheng. Lu Anhe’s death caused quite a sensation; there were dozens of students attacking Shi Wenxuan at the scene, so obviously, there was no shortage of people to report it.
But Fan Ting died quietly here. There was only Mo Qi in the exhibition hall. Who could have known about this, who could have reported it?
There must be someone who knew she had made a wish, knew the rules of exchanging wishes, knew Fan Ting would come to find Xiang Wansi, and knew that Fan Ting’s life would be harvested by the wishing box.
The only person who meets these conditions is the one who handed the box to Fan Ting.
However, finding this person, especially with no clues, is a difficult task. This person would have had to meet very strict conditions to accomplish all of these things.
To understand the grudges between Ke Xiaoxi and Xiang Wansi, the conflicts between Qi Qiaoyan and Ke Xiaoxi, and further, to comprehend the grievances among Lu Anhe, Xiang Wansi, and Fan Ting, one must delve into these relationships.
If the person behind it isn’t Xiang Wansi, then ironically, Liao Ruxue fits the profile better. Mo Qi’s sole source of information for this task all comes from Liao Ruxue.
Liao Ruxue is the one who knows Xiang Wansi’s movements today the best.
Sometimes, once suspicion arises, it’s hard to dispel. Mo Qi furrowed his brow, increasingly finding Liao Ruxue suspicious.
Liao Ruxue, the student council president, holds a vast amount of school information and can easily access it. He can discern the strangeness of the world through the differences in his behavior and thoughts, accepting these changes effortlessly. He insists on acting together with Mo Qi and Xiang Zhuo, two players. If he is the mastermind behind the Wishing Box, knowing that players might thwart his wishes, then following them closely as an “intelligent ordinary person,” monitoring their every move, would be the best approach.
A compelling piece of evidence is that Mo Qi deliberately grouped Liao Ruxue and Xiang Zhuo together, intending for them to attract the attention of other players. This strategy aims to achieve a dual purpose: to divert attention away from Xiang Zhuo and Liao Ruxue, who pose a threat to Mo Qi, while also keeping other players occupied.
Liao Ruxue clearly understood Mo Qi’s intentions but instead of preventing them, he exacerbated the situation, ultimately leading to the deaths of two players and severely weakening Xiang Zhuo’s combat effectiveness.
As the saying goes, “Speak of the devil, and he appears.” Suspiciously, Liao Ruxue and Xiang Zhuo, now missing an arm, entered the exhibition hall. Mo Qi lifted his gaze towards Liao Ruxue, pondering whether to use Stare and Resonance to inspect Liao Ruxue’s memories.
However, for “Resonance” to work, Liao Ruxue must willingly allow himself to be controlled by Mo Qi, which adds some difficulty. If Liao Ruxue harbors resistance, this skill won’t be effective.
“Can’t your arm be restored?” In the end, Mo Qi didn’t look at Liao Ruxue, but cautiously glanced at Xiang Zhuo.
Xiang Zhuo’s face turned pale. “If it’s a player with a high Execution Value, they might evolve regenerative abilities. My Construction Value is high, so I can’t regenerate. However, this identity is only limited to this mission. After the mission ends, as long as I don’t die, my injuries can heal.”
So Xiang Zhuo will have to remain in a semi-disabled state throughout this mission. For the mastermind behind the scenes, this is probably the best outcome. Mo Qi pondered deeply.
Xiang Zhuo said, “We haven’t heard from you for so long. We were worried that something had happened. We waited until the students gathered downstairs at the Sizheng Building dispersed before coming to find you. The system just notified us that the second wisher’s life was harvested. Do you know what happened?”
“I saw the Wishing Box,” Mo Qi pointed to the chair where Fan Ting had sat, “Fan Ting was sitting here, holding the Wishing Box, and his life was harvested right in front of me.”
“Is that so?” Xiang Zhuo said nonchalantly, “Did you get the box then?”
“No, I encountered the Wishing Box, but it disappeared into thin air, and the system also indicated that the third wish is currently being generated,” Mo Qi replied.
“What’s going on? Do we really need to find the mastermind? But even if we do, what then?” Xiang Zhuo gloomily remarked. “Shi Wenxuan found Xiang Wansi and ended up being beaten up by a group of students who seemed like superhumans. Now we don’t know where he’s hiding.”
After his arm was broken, his overall presence weakened considerably, and his morale plummeted.
On the other hand, Liao Ruxue, this ordinary person, remained calm and collected. He even informed Mo Qi, “On our way from the Sizheng Building, Xiang Zhuo was ‘accidentally’ knocked over three times. Once he fell into a flower bed and got stung by a bee.”
Liao Ruxue lifted Xiang Zhuo’s clothes, revealing a lump on his shoulder the size of a steamed bun.
“Was this from the bee sting?” Mo Qi asked, very surprised.
No wonder Xiang Zhuo looks so unwell, with his voice growing weaker. If this continues, he might weaken to the point of death.
“It’s terrifying, isn’t it? I’ve never seen bees on campus with such venom,” Liao Ruxue said. “This is only the second wish. Mo Qi, what if by the time the fourth wish is granted, you all might even suffocate to death.”
“Cough, cough,” Xiang Zhuo coughed violently. “So we must find the mastermind, or we won’t last until the fourth wish!”
“What if we find the mastermind? You don’t even know how to complete the mission. Should we kill the mastermind or take the Wishing Box from them?” Liao Ruxue remarked calmly. “Mo Qi, it seems like you’re destined to fail this mission. What do you say? Should I end your suffering first, to prevent the system from taking you first?”
Liao Ruxue drew a boning knife from his waist, its blade glinting near Mo Qi’s eyes.
Rather than instilling fear, this gesture seemed to strengthen Mo Qi’s resolve, eliciting a calm smile from him.
“What’s so funny?” Liao Ruxue approached Mo Qi with the knife. “Why are you smiling like that?”
Mo Qi shook his head. “It’s nothing. I’m just relieved.”
Liao Ruxue stared at Mo Qi’s face for a moment, then realized, “Are you suspecting me of being the mastermind?”
“Indeed, there was a slight suspicion, but now I’m reassured,” Mo Qi replied. “The president is someone who never hides his desires and probably wouldn’t bother using the Wishing Box to fulfill wishes.”
Liao Ruxue chuckled mockingly. “If I were the mastermind, we would have gathered the four wishes last night, and you wouldn’t have lived to see today.”
Mo Qi responded, “Yes, that’s why I’m relieved. Thankfully, the adversary isn’t you. However, I’ve also considered this: someone excessively powerful wouldn’t bother using such a method to fulfill wishes. It’s only those who lack the strength to achieve their desires on their own who would attract the Wishing Box.”
“I may not know who the mastermind is, but I can tell from the wishers they’ve chosen,” Mo Qi remarked, “they’re selecting individuals who harbor resentment but lack the power to retaliate on their own. Only such people would fall into the trap of the Wishing Box.”
“Every step leaves a mark. The people he chose also reflect something about himself, to a certain extent, don’t they?” Liao Ruxue remarked.
“Exactly,” Mo Qi agreed.
“Have you figured out who it is?” Xiang Zhuo watched the two of them engage in cryptic conversation.
“Not exactly, but we have a general direction,” Liao Ruxue replied after a moment’s thought, sheathing his boning knife. “Let’s hold off on killing you for now. I’m curious to see how far you can take this mission.”
Xiang Zhuo looked puzzled. “So, with the second wisher dead and Mo Qi unable to touch the box, are there any new clues? Do we just have to wait for the third wisher to appear?”
“Of course, there’s such a glaring clue,” Mo Qi chuckled. “As a newcomer, how could Shi Wenxuan possibly know about the complex relationships between Xiang Wansi, Ke Xiaoxi, Qi Qiaoyan, Lu Anhe, and Fan Ting?”
“Exactly, how did he find out so much?” Xiang Zhuo pondered. “The Clue Investigator couldn’t have given him such crucial information.”
“Clearly, someone must have told him. And whoever told him everything and directed everything towards Xiang Wansi is likely the mastermind,” Mo Qi asserted confidently.