Chapter 192 Enlightenment

The chubby guy suddenly saying something like this caught Ling Mo off guard.

He had known for a long time that the chubby guy knew something, but the last time he had tried to pry for useful information, nothing came of it, so he hadn’t pressed the matter further.

Even though they hadn’t seen each other much in the years since graduating high school, Ling Mo still regarded the chubby guy as a true friend. That bond had just faded a bit but never changed fundamentally.

Just like with Xia Xinyan, he wouldn’t ask the chubby guy about sensitive matters unless he was sure of the consequences.

Unless the chubby guy brought it up first.

Like now.

“About these things related to the game… you know something?” Ling Mo looked at the chubby guy and asked.

“I know a little, but not everything.” The chubby guy stroked his chin, carefully choosing his words. “You know, some things can only be hinted at; once it’s made clear, it’s not good for either of us.”

“Then can you at least tell me that one sentence?”

“Isn’t that what I’m thinking about? No need to rush.” The chubby guy spread his hands and continued, “Let’s put it this way, my family has some small connections. Thanks to my parents, I’ve managed to get some intel. This game… it’s not a normal game—okay, that’s obvious. Either way, this game will affect reality. Who knows, we might transition from daily life to something fantastical.”

He took a sip of tea to quench his thirst and added, “You must have noticed that more and more ability incidents have been reported lately, right? I specifically looked into those details, and at least half of them are real incidents—what does that mean? That game pod is not only enhancing our physiques; there’s a chance that one day, we might bring the abilities from the game into reality. You should understand what that implies, right?”

After a second’s pause, he shrugged, “Of course, this is just my speculation. After all, the current ability incidents, if you try to shoehorn them into physical strength, could barely make sense.”

Ling Mo furrowed his brows slightly, unsure of what to think. “So this is just your guess? So what you know…”

“I can’t tell you anything I know. Sorry.” The chubby guy flashed a cheeky grin and then glanced at the bedroom door. “Don’t you have a girlfriend from a prominent family? Hasn’t she told you anything?”

“She told me roughly the same thing.”

“…Then that’s kind of sad for you.” The chubby guy scratched his chin, pondering for a few seconds, then said, “Actually, although I can’t tell you outright, the implication of my earlier speculation is pretty clear. You should be able to guess what would happen if that’s the future direction. Your strength in the game is formidable, but in reality, it may not be so. So before you have enough ability to protect yourself, bro, I still suggest you should keep a low profile. Don’t try to show off; if someone notices you, you might not even know how you ended up dead.”

Ling Mo was a bit curious. “Is it chaotic in reality right now?”

“Not really. On the surface, it still looks harmonious. Before those things can’t be suppressed anymore, the higher-ups won’t allow it to come to light—after all, not everyone is playing this game right now; you get it?” The chubby guy squinted, his tone somewhat complex. “But I suspect some pretty big moves are already happening behind the scenes. You might not have noticed, but several people have suddenly vanished from the leaderboard—not the bottom dwellers—like, poof! I can’t find any information on them. They might have deleted their accounts, or it could be… you can let your conspiracy theories run wild.”

After a brief pause, he clapped his hands. “Alright, that’s all I have to say. Any more, and I might get into trouble. What about you? You mentioned you wanted to find me for something?”

Hearing this, Ling Mo tucked away his thoughts and pulled out two small walkie-talkies, tossing one to the chubby guy. “Take this. I need you to keep an eye on someone in this dungeon—she’s a girl, wearing a red top and a red hat, quite a flashy outfit. Notify me immediately if you see her.”

The chubby guy frowned. “What? You planning to cheat?”

“I’ll cheat you into next week.” Ling Mo shot him a sideways glance. “That girl shouldn’t be a player; I suspect she might be a game administrator. I have some questions for her.”

“Administrator? This game has an administrator?” The chubby guy was taken aback.

Ling Mo shrugged. “It might be that kind of identity you’re thinking of. Anyway, just keep a lookout.”

The chubby guy nodded. “Alright, I’ll help keep an eye out—do you want me to notify anyone else?”

“Do it however you like. I just want to see her once.”

“Okay, I’ll be off then. Don’t forget what I said.” The chubby guy pocketed the walkie-talkie, waved, and left the suite.

Ling Mo watched his silhouette disappear behind the door, remained silent for a moment, then stood up and headed toward the bedroom.

Inside the bedroom, Xia Xinyan had already fallen asleep again. After setting up a few required security measures, Ling Mo carefully climbed into bed beside her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and closed his eyes.

This time, Xia Xinyan didn’t wake up from his movements.

Inhaling the sweet scent of her hair, Ling Mo’s thoughts began to wander.

During this time, he had indeed tried to investigate the game’s background, but there weren’t many avenues available, and the information he obtained was quite limited.

He knew the game pod was transforming his body, but he had never considered that abilities could also be brought into reality.

Now that the chubby guy mentioned it, it clarified several points that had been bugging him.

For instance, his true value.

As his abilities gradually grew, he had already sensed how powerful they were, and the moment that truly made him realize the tremendous potential of his abilities was when Xia Xinyan guided him to attempt creating things on his own.

The true strength of this ability lies in its infinite possibilities.

One could say that if he had this ability in reality, he could become a creator.

Just thinking about this power could send chills down one’s spine.

Xinyan… did she choose to approach him at the start because of this?

Or was it… because of that terminal?

If it was because of the terminal, then why did the one on him crash?

Also, since both he and Xinyan had these things, could it be that others might have them too?

This reminded him of that girl in red.

She could instantly recognize that they each had that terminal. Just this point alone indicated she wasn’t just an ordinary person.

Perhaps… she might not even be human?

Could she be one of the beings that created this game?

Then, what does this game actually mean? Why did it appear in this world?

And… were the dungeons they experienced just mere dungeons?