Chapter 38: Chatting in Bed
The mirror was very unhappy, swaying back and forth as he did his utmost to rub against Xing Ye’s body.
Xing Ye noticed his actions and picked the mirror up, which comforted the little mirror a little.
It was a grumpy mirror who wanted to be coaxed. That little temper of his was seriously cute.
This was the first time Xing Ye grew curious about what the mirror looked like. A face so incredibly beautiful that it was even recognized by the system- what would that look like?
However, he didn’t dare to ask. If it was something that he wasn’t allowed to know yet, it might cause the little mirror to be snatched away by the system.
“When I helped Lin Jingxue pass on today, the system said I finished a side quest, awarding me with 5000 points and a very special QR code. It’s called “Peaceful Spirit’s Tune”, a rare, prolonged mood-influencing QR code that can be superimposed onto other QR codes. To deal with Bai Xu and Liu Muqing, I used my initial skill, Redrawing Pen, to make copies of Peaceful Spirit’s Tune with half of the original’s effects.”
Xing Ye always acted according to logic. Since he couldn’t ask, he would just guide the little mirror to say it. If he could say it, it meant that Xing Ye was allowed to know it.
The little mirror gasped in surprise when he heard Xing Ye explain Redrawing Pen. “Your ability is just as strong as mine. Nice, that means following you isn’t a total embarrassment.”
“Considering both our abilities, if there was somebody that had both of them, that person would probably be invincible.” Xing Ye said, “Otherworldly Beauty costs 50 points and would leave the opponent unable to attack for an hour. Redrawing Pen could use this time to draw an attack type QR code. As long as we have enough points, we can beat anybody.”
“That’s true,” The mirror said in astonishment, “But can you really remember that many QR codes? They all look the same to me, just staring at them makes me dizzy.”
“Usually not,” Xing Ye said, “But it’s possible with training. A computer science major can memorize countless types of code, but ordinary people cannot. All fields have their own specialty. While I was in university, I joined a neuroscience club, where we, along with experts, researched how to use the brain’s full potential. The results we found were astonishing.”
“How did you train?” The mirror asked curiously.
If he had a body, his big eyes would definitely be blinking at him curiously, impatient but enduring, as he waited eagerly for him to answer.
This thought couldn’t help but appear in Xing Ye’s mind. If he and the little mirror somehow met in the real world, then although their temperaments were polar opposites, they could definitely become great friends who could keep in step with each other.
Xing Ye explained, “You can practice stuff like speed memorization, sudoku, and reaction times, anything as long as it’s related to exercising your brain.
“We were split into different groups according to our interests. Back then, I specialized in memorization and focused on researching image memory.
“For example, if you gave me a paper with 399 大s and one 犬, I would only need a glance to memorize which row and number the 犬 was on. It was incredibly difficult at the start. Nevermind only taking a glance, it’d take me a long time just to find the 犬.
“But with time, I was able to train my brain until I could memorize it in just a second. However, I could only remember for a short time before I forgot it. I had to repeat it over and over again in my mind until I could finally memorize it.
“At the rooftops yesterday, with Cao Qian’s help, I used speed memorization to quickly memorize the three QR codes. I took the time later when we returned to the class to memorize it before I forgot, using half an hour to deepen my memory of it. When we got back to the dorm, I redrew them while you were blacked out.”
Xing Ye fished out a few papers from his pocket. He put the QR codes there last night before he went to the girls dormitory as a last measure.
But with Peaceful Spirit’s Tune, Xing Ye was able to save a lot of points.
The mirror looked at the QR codes with Xing Ye’s help and sighed in admiration, “How amazing. Then do you still need to practice memorizing it later?”
“Of course I do,” Xing Ye nodded, “I can still forget it, but the time it takes me to forget will become slower and slower. Plus, if I just give it a glance, as long as there’s still some impression of it in my brain, everything will come back to me. I can also use hypnosis and dreams to help me memorize everything.”
“So it’s actually like that,” The mirror seemed a little embarrassed as he turned around, his back facing Xing Ye as he spoke. “Then my Otherworldly Beauty pales in comparison, since it has a cooldown.”
“What’s the cooldown?”
“After an hour of use, the target would become used to my beauty and it can’t be used again for another three hours.” The mirror said unhappily. Redrawing Pen was so much better!
“You can do a lot in an hour. Right now, it takes me five minutes to draw a QR code. After training, I should be able to produce one in 30 seconds. Say, if I had enough points, how many QR codes can I draw in an hour?”
“120?” The mirror almost screamed, “Even if you only draw pianos, it’d be enough enough to crush an army to death!”
“Right, and I already memorized the QR code of the piano I gave Lin Jingxue. Otherwise, how would I be as generous as to give somebody a whole QR code? I’d have nothing left.” Xing Ye said.
With this, he was also hinting for the mirror to recall situations where he gave NPCs a QR code. For example, the flower.
Under Xing Ye’s lead, the mirror finally remembered. “Ah! The flower I went that little girl was a sunflower! That sunflower looked really weird too. The pattern formed by the black and white seeds looked just like a QR code.”
“...Then that probably was a QR code. By giving an NPC a special QR code that you could’ve used, you completed a side quest and won 5000 points. Yesterday, it should’ve been the same with me.” Xing Ye pondered, “If it awards that many points, it should only take a few worlds to become a high-level player. That should also be the game’s purpose.”
“What purpose? Wasn’t it just because my luck was good?” The mirror asked sweetly.
“It wasn’t because you were lucky. It’s because, even in such a malicious world, you were able to hold onto your kindness.” Xing Ye recalled the system’s friendly reminder when he finished the side quest: Apart from strong props and being able to find the truth, to be strong, you sometimes have to be a little bit gentle.
“I believe that’s something most high level players understand but players in melee worlds might not. If they figured it out, they would quickly be able to become high level players and wouldn’t be stuck here for long. It’s true that QR codes are abilities and life-saving measures, but sometimes, they can also be crucial quest props. That’s something Di Kuang’s group clearly haven’t figured out. Cao Qian’s partner as well, which is why they struggled in the melee worlds for such a long time. It seems the game worlds at this stage aren’t enough. The system’s true colors are something only high-level players can see clearly.” Xing Ye analyzed.
“I don’t like high-level worlds.” The mirror suddenly said.
Xing Ye didn’t question him, worried he couldn’t say the details.
Sure enough, after a bit, the mirror sighed dejectedly. “Ah, it won’t let me say it. Is it because your access level isn’t high enough?”
Their intimacy points weren’t enough.
Xing Ye’s head started to hurt. How would he improve his intimacy points with the mirror? Did he have to step into the system’s trap?
“Mirror, do you like me? Do you have a good impression of me?” Xing Ye asked.
“What a gay question....” The mirror mumbled to himself, “Although you really like to act and hardly smile, I know you’re a good person. You’d even choose to help me over getting to pick a special QR code, so of course I really like you!”
His honest words made Xing Ye’s heart quiver a little. The mirror was sincere, but because he was afraid of the system’s traps, he had always kept his guard against the mirror.
It was his fault.
Xing Ye thought to himself, “I think we need to deepen our affections for one another, or I won’t be able to know more about you. However, I can tell you about myself and let you know the… experiences I went through.”