Zhang Cheng had always known that his friend possessed an incredibly strong-willed heart, yet the look in her eyes now was filled with pleading.
This made Zhang Cheng involuntarily recall how Lu Qiuchen had previously reacted coldly when she first saw him and learned the truth, and how she had cried bitterly afterward. But whether she chose to avoid him or suffered in silence, none of it had made him feel the same kind of heartache as now.
A surge of guilt and compassion welled up in Zhang Cheng’s chest, and he pulled his friend tightly into his arms. Of course, because of the armor, he couldn’t feel any softness, but at this moment, he had no time to care about that. He had originally come to save Lu Qiuchen, and now was not the time to back down.
“So, what should I do?” Zhang Cheng asked loudly.
He felt his body being controlled again, his mouth opening as he spoke: “Because you are also a Candidate, this makes things much simpler. I will swap your identity marker with hers. This way, we can deceive that supercomputer, allowing you to take her place entering the Eternal World, and she will avoid being erased.”
Upon hearing this plan, Zhang Cheng thought of his family members and hesitated for a moment. But the image of Lu Qiuchen’s pleading eyes flashed before him, and his resolve strengthened.
“Let’s do it.”
“However, this method requires one prerequisite—you must first form a contract with her.”
Zhang Cheng heard his body speak again.
Lu Qiuchen suddenly lifted her head from Zhang Cheng’s embrace, her gaze filled with suspicion, which wounded Zhang Cheng deeply.
‘Could this be another double act?’ Lu Qiuchen thought.
It wasn’t her fault to be so distrustful—she had recently encountered one scheme after another, layered deceptions upon deceptions, and she had been deceived so many times she was numb.
But thinking about the sacrifice Zhang Cheng was about to make, her expression softened. She felt ashamed for doubting her good friend’s sincerity and bowed her head deeply.
“Why must we form a contract?” Zhang Cheng kindly asked on behalf of Lu Qiuchen.
“If you’re not bound together, without the system’s help, your friend will be trapped in the Spirit Realm. Since she loses her player status, she won’t be able to move within the Spirit Realm and will be confined to this space.
“Moreover, her physical body is sinking deeper into the Spirit Realm. The longer she stays here, the more her body will gradually become spiritualized, eventually turning into nourishment for the Spirit Realm. This means she gains no freedom, and we lose an ally in the Eternal World. This benefits neither side.”
Having received this reasonable explanation, Lu Qiuchen glanced at her friend, then at the diminishing spiritual energy within the curse-breaking orb, and without further hesitation, took a deep breath.
“Then let’s do it.”
Zhang Cheng summoned a wyvern from his mount space, chose to sever their partnership, and the wyvern looked nervously at Lu Qiuchen before responding excitedly to Zhang Cheng’s dissolution command, vanishing as a streak of light.
‘Uh-oh, this wyvern clearly wasn’t treated well by him. How did it end up falling into a trap again?’
Lu Qiuchen sensed the wyvern’s unhidden excitement and resentment towards Zhang Cheng and felt uneasy about the life ahead of her.
“Because you currently lack a system-granted identity and cannot register directly, we have to use a clumsy method to form the contract,” Zhang Cheng’s body explained.
“What clumsy method?” Both Lu Qiuchen and Zhang Cheng were curious.
From somewhere, Zhang Cheng pulled out a piece of parchment and said, “A blood contract. Both parties must drop their blood—”
Before he could finish, the β within the Spirit Realm interrupted: “I should remind you, even after forming the contract, it’s not entirely foolproof. I still need to exchange your information afterward. This operation carries great risk for me and requires a lot of time. If you…”
Before “Zhang Cheng” could finish threatening, Lu Qiuchen’s gaze turned icy. Zhang Cheng, knowing his friend’s temper well, feared she might delay the process out of anger, causing death. Summoning all his willpower, he wrested control from β.
He removed his equipment in the game menu, bit his finger, and pressed it onto the parchment, loudly telling Lu Qiuchen, “Whether we’re being used or whether the task is difficult, surviving is what matters most! Besides, I think Mom wouldn’t harm me. Kid, let’s form the contract first!”
Zhang Cheng wasn’t foolish. Since this was the message his mother personally conveyed, he knew it must be part of a plan involving his parents. He trusted they wouldn’t betray him.
Hearing this, Lu Qiuchen was deeply moved. The anger that had welled up vanished, and she swallowed the question on the tip of her tongue. After looking at her friend with profound gratitude, she stepped forward quietly and dropped a drop of blood on the other end of the parchment.
A flash of silver light, and the contract disappeared. Both suddenly felt a subtle sensation rising in their hearts as they turned to look at each other.
β’s voice echoed simultaneously in their minds: “Alright, finally I can communicate directly with your spirits. It’s exhausting always controlling other bodies. Now that the contract is signed, we are companions. From now on, you can call my name ‘Lai’ in your hearts, and wherever you are, I will respond promptly.”
Lai continued: “I will now proceed to exchange your information. To prevent any shift in your coordinates, I will temporarily seal this space. Please wait here for a while. When I return, you will regain your freedom.”
Lu Qiuchen and Zhang Cheng soon felt their bodies stiffen under the binding. Even their fingers and eyes couldn’t move; they could only maintain their current gaze toward each other. After a few seconds, an awkward silence settled between them.
Forced to stare at their friend without even being able to blink, both felt very embarrassed. Zhang Cheng, looking at her, suddenly recalled the strange dream from that day. Uncontrollable, improper thoughts crept into his mind, and his face gradually flushed red.
Lu Qiuchen, however, did not develop any odd fantasies about her friend. But seeing Zhang Cheng blush, she instantly understood what was going on and recalled the nonsense he had once lied to her about. Her embarrassment and anger mixed, coloring her cheeks with a rosy glow.
The longer they stared, the more awkward it became. Fire flared in Lu Qiuchen’s eyes as she mentally cursed Zhang Cheng. In this tense atmosphere, the binding suddenly released, and Lai’s somewhat cheerful voice echoed in their minds.
“Heh~ Lucky, the swap was done without being detected. Hmm? What’s going on with you two? Your spirits seem very excited…”
“Don’t care!” Lu Qiuchen shouted silently, shooting a fierce glare at Zhang Cheng.
That scoundrel! He’s been a man for nineteen years—he should know exactly what the other was thinking just now!
Lai, oblivious to Lu Qiuchen’s outburst, continued: “The contract has been updated. From now on, you can communicate directly through your spirits.”
Zhang Cheng was grateful for Lai’s timely save and quickly changed the subject: “Um, I want to know more about the ‘Firmament Shards’ you mentioned earlier…”
Lu Qiuchen, not one to take things lightly, shot Zhang Cheng another glare but let it go for now, turning her attention to his question.
“What you call the Spirit Realm is just a convenient name for your understanding. Its true name is the Firmament. And the so-called God Clan are actually my children, but they were too mischievous. While I was asleep, they stole the Firmament Crystal, sneaked out of the Spirit Realm, but later the crystal was seized by the Dragon Clan and shattered into fragments. Without the crystal, my children can no longer return to the Firmament.”
Lai sighed deeply at the end.
“I entrusted you to collect the Firmament Shards, not only to help restore my strength but also to save my children. Moreover, if you want to return to your original world, the Firmament Crystal is indispensable. So this is a win-win mission.”
Both were stunned by the massive revelation—Lai, the God Clan, the Firmament, the Firmament Crystal—all connected in this way.
“My power is limited. Soon, β will discover this place. Since you already understand the situation, return to the Eternal World. I hope you can gather the shards quickly. The Eternal Group’s plan has already begun. As for cleaning up here, leave it to me.”
Before they could react, a force pushed them out of the Spirit Realm.
*****
After they left, only dozens of ice sculptures remained inside the hollow mountain—nothing else.
After a while, Lai’s consciousness returned to this place.
“β, why have you suddenly changed your attitude and started helping the moderates within the Group?”
Silence stretched long.
Then β’s cold, gentle voice suddenly echoed here, chilling all who heard it:
“The Group never trusted me. I know that my w-sister was created by them to erase me.”
“He trusted they wouldn’t betray him… but you know? Having a slave dragon girl is fine. Who cares what she thinks? She gets to live, right?”