Chapter 22: Can I Go Home?

"It's nothing," Ning Yun said, shaking her head. "I'm just feeling a bit sentimental."

Da He and another young man finished filling in the soil and bowed to the tombstone. Shortly after, they departed. Although the scenes in this dungeon were incredibly realistic, the villagers felt heavily like NPCs. They were constantly going through the motions, which made them seem hollow.

In contrast, Yan Yan, who had been silent for a long time, gave Ning Yun a sense of true humanity.

Ning Yun crouched down once more. "What is your real name? Xiao Xiao, or Yan Yan—neither of them are fake names, are they?"

Ever since she saw the stone tablet at the village entrance, she had been suspicious of the little girl who had appeared so suddenly. The villagers' remarks only served to confirm that Yan Yan was unusual. The bracelet she had found in the rocky forest was identical to the one on Yan Yan’s wrist. Even if it were handmade, it would be impossible for them to be exactly the same; this was the biggest discrepancy.

After finding Da He again, her suspicions were further solidified. Throughout the entire village, no one had interacted with Yan Yan. This was highly irregular. Even if Yan Yan’s parents had been outcasts, a young orphan who had lost her parents would surely garner sympathy from someone, such as Da He. Yet, from beginning to end, Da He never once mentioned the name "Yan Yan." He had only ever referred to her as Xiao Xiao.

Thus, Ning Yun boldly formed a hypothesis: Yan Yan and Xiao Xiao were one and the same.

The little girl looked up, a subtle shift in her expression. "Big Sister, you’re so smart."

It was the same tone and the same voice, yet the feeling it conveyed was entirely different. Ning Yun always felt that although this little girl looked young, her inner age was far greater than her own. Her eyes were heavy—so heavy that it seemed as if she had lost her entire world.

"You..." Ning Yun started to say something, but stopped.

"My name is Xiao Yan," she said, her face bearing a maturity that didn't fit a child. "I’ve been dead for such a long, long time. No one came looking for me. Big Sister, you’re amazing for actually finding me."

How long was "such a long time"? Ning Yun couldn't help but ask, "Did no one in the village look for you, either?"

Xiao Yan shook her head. "No, because they are dead too. Everyone is dead."

So, was Anle Village a ghost village?

"Then are they all ghosts now?" Ning Yun felt goosebumps rise again.

To her surprise, Xiao Yan shook her head once more. "I don't know. When I woke up, they were already there, just like before. Brother Da He is the same way."

In that case, this dungeon probably wasn't controlled by Xiao Yan. She even began to wonder: since Xiao Yan felt so much like a real person from the outside world, was she truly just an NPC fabricated out of thin air by the game developers?

The thought of what this might imply sent shivers down Ning Yun's spine. She quickly suppressed the notion; even if there were a massive conspiracy behind this, it was not something she could shake while struggling to survive in the wilderness.

"Does this mean I’ve completed the task?"

Once she learned the name "Xiao Yan," her mission objective had changed to [Let Xiao Yan rest in peace]. Burying Xiao Yan beside her father and mother could be considered a form of closure.

"When I lie down, Big Sister’s mission will be complete." Xiao Yan accepted her own death with such calm. Or perhaps, in the passage of time that she couldn't measure, death was no longer terrifying to her. What was terrifying was being alone, unable to return to her parents' side.

Even though she knew Xiao Yan was not a living human, Ning Yun couldn't help but feel sympathy when she thought of her fate and the villagers' words. Her experiences felt so authentic.

Just as she had done before, Ning Yun raised her hand and patted Xiao Yan’s fuzzy head. "I wish you a smooth journey back to your parents."

She tilted her head slightly, her lips curling upward, her eyes sparkling with gentle light. Although she was already dead and could not feel the warmth of others, Xiao Yan knew that the hand resting on her head was incredibly warm. For the first time, she revealed a satisfied, childlike smile. "Mm!"

"Thank you, Big Sister. I’m going home now."

Xiao Yan’s figure turned into specks of starlight and gradually faded away, then settled into the earth and vanished. Finally, the notification that the mission was complete rang in Ning Yun's ears.

[Congratulations to the player for completing the mission. Rating... Reward...]

She wasn't in the mood to pay attention to the voice; all her focus was on her palm. It was the bracelet Xiao Yan had been wearing. The bloodstains had vanished, and it looked brand new, as if it had just been woven.

[Xiao Yan’s Bracelet: Unique Item]
[When worn, it blocks fatal damage to the player three times.]
[Usage: 0/3]

"Big Sister, please keep this."

The last words of Xiao Yan echoed in her ears. It seemed she hadn't done much, yet she had received such sincere gratitude from a little girl.

The mischievous Little White, influenced by Ning Yun’s emotions, had been very well-behaved. Now, seemingly sensing her sadness, it came to her side and gently rubbed its head against her palm.

"Mmm, I’m not sad anymore." Ning Yun pulled herself together and put on the bracelet.

The dungeon kicked Ning Yun and Little White out. With the experience from last time, her dizziness wasn't as severe. Back in the small hut, the storm outside still made the world look grey and hazy. Xiao Qichen’s avatar began to blink.

What a coincidence? She opened the chat window and found he had simply sent a greeting.

"Are you okay?"

Ning Yun had so much to say that she didn't know where to start. "I'm doing quite well, and I even obtained a precious item. It's just that my feelings are quite complicated right now. The NPCs in this game are so intelligent that I can't help but treat them as real people."

The name "Xiao Yan" would likely stay in her memory for a long time to come.

Xiao Qichen quickly replied, "A game is just a game, and the NPCs in the dungeon are just NPCs."

"Sigh," Ning Yun sighed. "Alright, I'll try to distinguish between them."

She lay down on the bed to relax. After nearly four hours in the dungeon, she was truly exhausted.

"Did you check the dungeon rating?" Xiao Qichen’s question left Ning Yun stunned.

"Ah, the rating? I didn't pay attention..."

She hurriedly opened the panel and discovered that a [Dungeons] section had appeared at some point. Opening it, she saw it was divided into [Solo Dungeon], [Duo Dungeon], and [Team Dungeon]. The first two were lit up, but the third remained greyed out.

She opened [Solo Dungeon] and found only one entry: "Xiao Yan’s Wish, Rating: SSS."

SSS?

She messaged Xiao Qichen, "What does this mean? Is it the highest level?"

Xiao Qichen was not surprised. "Yes. Usually, once a rating reaches S, there is a chance to obtain a special item."

That was why, when he saw the bracelet Ning Yun had obtained, he had guessed that the solo dungeon rating must be very high. He just hadn't expected it to be SSS.

"You are amazing," Xiao Qichen praised her sincerely.

Ning Yun chuckled. "Just lucky. If it weren't for the ticket you gave me, I wouldn't have been able to enter this dungeon. We are both amazing!"

The two exchanged mutual compliments, and the atmosphere became relaxed. Then, the elusive game developers suddenly made an announcement.

"Wow, today we have a big surprise for everyone~"

"Some players can go home now~"

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