Wilderness (1)

The Days I Clear Escape Games Pretending to be an NPCCh65 - Wilderness (1)

T/N: Thank you Patrick for the Ko-fi (*^_^*)

Here's a long summary (?) of the last arc if you need to refresh your memory

.....

Relevant characters:

Ren Yifei – He Jun, a powerful crane demon who recently emerged from closed-door cultivation after an incident one hundred years before the time setting of the instance. He is highly respected and liked by many demons. He has a cold and aloof personality, but he is also very caring and kind in his own way, even to those who do not deserve it.

Qing Hong – A wicker lotus demon, He Jun's Junior brother. He's the host of the spring banquet and the injured OG He Jun a hundred years ago by stealing three drops of blood from his heart after getting him drunk. He is obsessed with He Jun because He Jun saved him and gave him a new life. T458xa

Hua Li – Qing Hong's 'second wife', and Hua Yu's sister. She first appeared a hundred years ago and presented Qing Hong with a method to create a baby using his body and He Jun's blood. She was a small demon who was looked down by others and wanted to be acknowledged, she has potential but was short-sighted.

Hua Yu – She is a lotus demon, probably born from the same lotus as Hua Li. He Jun's junior sister, and Qing Hong's first wife. Like Qing Hong, she also loves and respects He Jun because he saved her, but she is not obsessed. She married Qing Hong in order to keep him away from He Jun.

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

Saman – Da Peng, a 'small' demon who is not relevant to the OG plot of the instance.

Kong Que – A powerful demon, He Jun's friend, and our resident tsundere good boi. He acts antagonistically towards He Jun but actually cares about him. Fq 0to

Xiao Hua – Ji Yu, a 'small' demon who is not relevant to the OG plot. She is a player who first appeared in the second arc, Neighbourhood, and made an appearance outside of the game in chapter 30. Her real name first appeared in chapter 64. You might or might not have caught her, but she was the player in red from chapter 54 who overheard the conversation between Qing Hong and Hua Li, and she was also the one who got into Qing Hong's room before the MC (MC knows that it was her because of the red feather she dropped).

The 'ghost' – He Gui, is technically He Jun's and Qing Hong's child, his existence was possible because of He Jun's blood, Qing Hong's body and hundreds of sacrifices. He was never born in the OG plot and became obsessed with the idea of birth, resulting in the creation of the instance. However, his power was not enough to support the instance and was aided by the OG He Jun who had killed him in his first 'life', that was why He Jun's 'will' was present in this arc. This is quite an anomaly that hopefully would be explained further in the future.

Other info:

MC: We learn that he was a child actor who was pressured by his mother, who was probably a celebrity herself, to join the entertainment industry. She is the main cause of MC's trauma, probably impacting him more than the evil system. As for his past experience with the 'Big Bad System', it appeared when he was fairly young, perhaps around the time he was still in high school. The system wanted him to go through multiple worlds to experience human evil nature so that he would be corrupted. In this arc, one of the six sealed emotions was inlocked, which was Greed, along with the skill 'Phantom Play' (MC is Pride, so the remaining emotions would be lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth. They would probably be unlocked in that order too).

This also plays into what people in MC's reality said about him, how he suddenly went from acting heroic and noble roles to wicked and evil roles. They suspect that his acting has a problem, but it was probably MC's way of venting all the negativity experienced by the System.

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"Player, did you hear me?"

"En... Don't tell me how I got it, just tell me what I got and what the total is. I don't care about the minor details."

How could the host's reaction be so indifferent towards such an exciting moment as getting the rewards? The guide elf's spirit weaken and wilted. d2QHbv

"Because you cleared the game perfectly again this time, and because of the special condition of the welfare instance, all the currencies will be doubled. So this time, you've earned 8 silver shells, 4 gold shells, a silver treasure chest, and the SR-Rank Ghost Card: He Gui."

"In addition, because you got special recognition from your character in the game, you earn the skills: Demonise and Sacred Heart, and you earn the props: Ink Bone Fan and Mutant Wicker Lotus."

Skill: Demonise

Skill activation: Activate mentally. Upon activation, the user will gain He Jun's power at its peak condition for five minutes. eOUKM4

Restrictions: This skill can only be used in fantasy instances, and it is limited to one skill activation per game.

Evaluation: B (Do you want to become a big demon, even if it is only for five minutes?)

Skill: Sacred Heart

Skill Activation: Passive type skill. This skill will activate automatically upon entering an instance and will increase the favourability of all non-human NPCs by 5%. r2TSHg

Restrictions: Applies to any type of instance.

Rating: A (A seemingly useless, but occasionally decisive skill.)

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Ren Yifei raised his eyebrows when he saw these two skills, especially the passive skill. The greatest harvest of this game has arrived.

This skill is very applicable and useful, and most importantly, it is not counted in the number of skills quota per game. Unx RW

His gloomy mood dissipated by half in an instant, and Ren Yifei felt that he was okay again.

He then turned his attention to the two props.

Ink Bone Fan: He Jun's magic weapon, enhances the strength of spells by 30% after use.

Mutant Wicker Lotus: A gift from a friend, only five petals remain after one petal was used. Naturally, it has a strong inhibitory effect on psychedelic drugs. One petal can last for an hour.

Ren Yifei: ...a gift from a friend?

"Two skills and two props are standard for players who cleared the game, but what you've got is obviously better quality," seeing that Ren Yifei was silent, the guide elf hurriedly reassured him.

The host's luck is really amazing.

If it were to be called good luck, a mid-end Hundred People instance is still a welfare instance, so who doesn't get several skills and props? But he unexpectedly only received four items in total? cA FsN

The guide elf couldn't help but suspect that the officials were going bankrupt for them to be this stingy.

But to call it bad luck is not entirely correct. Among the four items, there were actually three rare and advanced skills and props.

Especially that A-level passive skill that applies to all instances, this was the passive skill that everyone dreams of, and most importantly: It applies to all games, and all non-human NPCs.

Wasn't this equivalent to adding a mini NPC-heartthrob halo on the player? 2JcxGD

"En, it's okay," the uninformed Ren Yifei felt that he had gained a lot and had recovered from the psychological wounds left by the dessert player.

Even if the other party can see through his disguise, so what? They won't meet again in the future anyways.

If they do meet again, then that'll be a discussion for later.

Ren Yifei walked into the bathroom with his clothes, he needed to get ready to go out. To him, showering and changing his clothes was the best way to express respect toward the person he is visiting. 4 d7W6

One of the strands around his wrist had been broken. Ren Yifei gently twisted the red string with only five strands left, causing the string to also lit up in response.

After taking a shower and changing his clothes, he blow-dried his hair in front of the mirror. He first dried the roots with warm air before moving on to the ends.

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He was wearing a V-neck knitted vest over a white shirt, a trench coat, jeans and ankle boots. This was a classic example of fool-proof casual men's wear.

Ren Yifei was not very good at matching clothes so all these multi-functional outfits were taught by his stylists. They might not be eye-catching, but he at least could not go wrong with them. 3tQ27R

"Where are you going?" the guide elf asked.

"I'm going to see Boss A Jin and check on the editing progress," he straightened his neckline in front of the mirror. The information about the upcoming visit has been sent to Boss A Jin.

The guide elf feel a little strange when it saw Ren Yifei, who has always been lazy, be so careful and meticulous. It questioned, "Do you like her?"

Males will be flamboyant when it came to courtship. jRzO9Q

What? He was stunned for a moment, then smiled, "Wearing clean and refreshing clothes is common courtesy. It has nothing to do with the person you are meeting."

"Right. This is today's weather report," the white screen ducked away to show the weather forecast. A third of Dong Xing City was marked with small raindrop icons.

"There's rain? I need a black umbrella."

Gloves, umbrella, watch, and hair loosed draped over his shoulder— he glanced at the mirror and felt that something was missing. After thinking about it, he bought a gold-rimmed monocle. DMIOjh

The thin gold chain hanging down embellished his cultured appearance even more exquisitely. Only once he was happy with his appearance did he walk out the door.

The remote town on the outskirts of Dong Xing City was still quiet. Several idle players had gathered under the street light to play cards while also discussing the recently concluded Hundred Player welfare instance.

The Hundred Player welfare instance had ended in only three days, and not only was the identification successful, but it was also simply broken. The big players had probably devoured the game without even leaving a whiff for the other players.

"It must be a low-end game," a player said loudly, "Otherwise, how could it be cleared so quickly? If I knew it was a low-end game, then I would've participated in it. Maybe I could've gotten a prop. A pair of queens!" iBnFzt

"You make it sound like you would get picked just by participating. A pair of kings," the player sitting across from him put down two cards.

After having to wait a long time for the third player to play a card, they began to urge him, "What are you doing? Play a card."

The third player was a young boy who was wearing pyjamas while sitting hunched back with sleepy eyes and messy hair. But suddenly, he silently straighten up, combed his hair with his fingers and widened his sleepy eyes, making them appear especially spirited.

"What's the matter with you? Are you okay?" His companions felt that something was off. QikdlY

"Ahem, it's nothing," the young boy replied while darting his eyes in a certain direction.

His actions attracted the others' attention, and when everyone turned to look, they only saw the back of a lean figure with particularly long legs walking away.

Chrysanthemum Garden.

"It's not even raining and yet they're wearing gloves and holding an umbrella, bah, how pretentious," one person said out of jealousy.

Dian Jin Hou Qi studio was still busy, besides Ren Yifei's large order, they also receive many other smaller orders. There were players who planned surprises to please their lovers, and there was a recruitment advertisement made by a certain group. In short, there were all sorts of different affairs. U1unQK

Of course, they place the most importance on the 'Neighbourhood' clearance clip.

Having more money was one thing, but making a name for yourself was another. They were very aware of this fact— this was the biggest opportunity they were able to grab, and it was their chance to change their fate.

"Hello," he put aside the umbrella in his hand and smiled, "I have an appointment with Boss A Jin."

The ball-point pen fell out of his hand, and the boy at the front desk hurriedly picked it up. He flipped through the booklet and asked with red cheeks, "May I ask who you are?" Xw AMa

"My order is Neighbourhood."

Because Neighbourhood was a big order, the receptionist knew where it was without looking for it. He internally shouted: Didn't they say that the person who cleared this instance would be coming? Is this the person? My God, this appearance... isn't he too good-looking?

Seeing that he didn't move for a long time, Ren Yifei asked softly, "Is there any problem?"

"No, no. This way, please." sq49hI

Walking down the lit hallway, he entered the last broadcasting room. After a few days of overtime, a rough-cut version was produced. The next step was to add dubbing and the soundtrack.

"Please come in," the boy at the front desk stopped by the door and opened it for him.

Inside, Boss A Jin was talking to a few people. When she saw Ren Yifei and the receptionist, she came forward to greet him, "The film had been edited, would you like to see it? It would feel better with the soundtrack and background noise."

"Okay." Ren Yifei walked in. 6seBy0

Boss A Jin reached over to close the door and also said to the receptionist, "Pour two cups of fragrant tea."

After going through three days' worth of content, three different perspectives and a bunch of insignificant scenes, the editor were able to condense the final 'movie' down to two and a half hours.

"I only adjusted the light and shadow of some parts of the film, I also added some side effects. There's no colour filter and no skin whitening effects. Your sense of the camera is excellent, no, no, it's not just your sense of the camera, but you are also very photogenic..." the editor was incoherent due to his excitement when talking about his work.

After half a month, he was able to hear other people praise him for his good sense of the camera again. This created an illusion that he was back on the film set. GBQSp2

It had only been half a month, but why does it feel like it's been so long since he experienced an ordinary life?

Putting on the headphone, Ren Yifei looked at the curved screen that had just lit up and began to concentrate.

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After a gorgeous yet eerie female voice sounded, the word 'Neighbourhood' appeared on the screen in large fonts.

The opening scene was a close-up shot of his eyelashes slowly fluttering open. All the surrounding environment that was reflected in his eyes was also visible to the viewer. Xdcp5A

From a dazed state to realisation and finally contemplation— all these mental activities occurred during the process of opening his eyes.

It was within these two seconds that Ren Yifei became intrigued. He relaxed his body, letting himself sink into the soft chair, and continued to watch the film.

This opening was very immersive, it seems that the editor did spend a lot of time and energy. However, the quality of the final product will be known only after watching it.

The first five minutes were able to explain the current situation by showing the protagonist waking up, gathering information and confirming his identity. Following this introduction was a small climax, which was the glass marble incident. IRZNpi

The clash between the identity of a player and the role of a blind person was shattered by the tumble down the stairs and was reconstructed into something new.

"Was what happened at that time too gay?"

He couldn't help but wonder when looking at the princess carry shown from three different angles on the screen, and the sudden slow-mo effect when they locked gazes.

Even if you were to experience it yourself, produce it yourself and rewatch it, the feeling would still be completely different. Ren Yifei changed his sitting posture. He leaned against the armrest while holding his chin and proceeded to watch the film from a third person's perspective. tnEdkO

After staying in the cinema room for more than two hours, Ren Yifei rubbed his eyes and put on his monocle before walking out. Boss A Jin, who was walking behind him, looked at him expectantly, "What do you think?"

"It's alright," although it still couldn't be compared to real movies, it had exceeded his expectations. The music rendering was also unexpectedly good. There were even specially written opening songs, ending songs and OST. All of this felt as though Boss A Jin was making a loss.

The balance between being functional and being aesthetically pleasing was also very good. However, he does not know if the viewers can learn from these exciting video clips, such as how they would be able to obtain information about the assigned identity in the first place, or how they could hide like a little leaf in a forest.

Furthermore... awbdu6

"Did I interact with the player next door too much?" Was there really that much? Or were details withheld from the CP?

He was clearly just a passer-by in memory, but he got promoted to the second male lead as soon as he was edited.

As an insider, Ren Yifei understood these kinds of operations very well. Even if an interaction was open and honest, it will become ambiguous just by zooming in a little.

"It is because most of these interactions hold valid plot points, so it's hard to cut them out," Boss A Jin accompanied him with a smile: Don't you know how many interactions you have? If you don't do anything, then we can't make something out of nothing, right? 1kF5N9

"Okay," apart from this, everything else was in line with his wishes, "All that's left is my dubbing, right? And also, I have a new video that needs to be edited so I'll have to trouble you with another matter."

Another new order. Boss A Jin smiled even more tenderly.

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Ren Yifei walked all the way to the door and picked up his umbrella.

It had already started to drizzle. After taking two steps outside with his umbrella, he remembered the various interactions between himself, the NPCs and the players in the 'Spring Banquet'. GMdVxb

Hiss... He could not help but turn his head and add, "CPs can be edited into these videos, but I must be a 1."

With his straight male thinking, being a 1 was probably tied to being dominant. Ren Yifei doesn't care who he was with, but he must be the one who takes the initiative, not the one who is forced to cry in the corner.

Boss A Jin: ...?

T/N: I don't usually do author's notes but this one is useful for explaining the rules of the game oXefiD