Qing Yue sensed something was wrong. She walked a few steps towards Xiao Yu and gently patted her shoulder. Seeing no reaction, she used her skill, Yan Ling.
With a hint of seduction in her voice, she said, "Tell me, what does the General usually have you do?"
Xiao Yu stared at her blankly, as if she hadn't understood. After a long while, she opened her mouth and made a sound like a malfunctioning machine, "The General makes me bleed, makes me dance. I'm dying! Save me."
By the last sentence, Xiao Yu had broken free from Yan Ling's control and began to sob quietly.
"Listen to me, tell me everything you know, and I can help you," Qing Yue said as gently as possible.
This was clearly a plot point. The character's reaction was completely different from before, only answering her questions like a pre-programmed template.
"Uncle Li in the kitchen has followed the General for many years. Perhaps he knows something," Xiao Yu said mechanically, then reverted to the way Qing Yue first saw her.
Qing Yue frowned. Who designed this instance? Why were there so many problems? Even the characters' personalities were unstable.
Xing Yuan, the "great designer," smiled sheepishly. For the sake of ensuring the game wasn't too easy, she had found many flawed products. After all, if too few people cleared the instance, it wouldn't be fun.
Moreover, these NPCs had the potential to develop self-awareness, and she wanted to train them.
Xing Yuan, unwilling to admit her laziness, convinced herself of this.
Following the clue, Qing Yue found Uncle Li. Uncle Li seemed much more normal. He sighed deeply and, with a melancholic gaze, began to tell a story.
"This is a forgotten army. They came here by the King's command, but were abandoned by everyone."
"The General, he's a good man. He's been trying to find a way for us to go back, but alas!" Uncle Li sighed softly, his eyes filled with sorrow.
There was a clue, but not much. No matter how much Qing Yue asked, Uncle Li only shook his head and said no more.
Qing Yue donned a soldier's armor, attempting to blend in and communicate with the soldiers.
Most of the soldiers had vacant eyes, but there were exceptions.
A seemingly young boy, chewing on a blade of grass and looking rather roguish, seemed to notice she was different from the others. He sauntered up and greeted her, "Hey! Which company are you from? The food's pretty good! Considering letting me cut in line?"
Qing Yue didn't know how to respond. Should she tell the boy to become a dancer? His physical condition wasn't suitable for that either!
Qing Yue lowered her head. When she looked up again, her expression was one of helplessness, with tear streaks on her face. She acted timidly, "Actually, I'm not a soldier. I came to find my distant cousin, Lin An. Do you know him?"
The boy shook his head, confused. There were so many people in the camp; he couldn't possibly know everyone.
The boy pursed his lips and, seeing the sad girl, kindly said, "I can help you ask. You should also leave here quickly! It's not safe."
"Thank you! But these people seem a bit strange. Do you know what's going on?" Qing Yue tried her best to play the part of an ignorant girl.
She knew from the start that her disguise wouldn't fool these people, but she also knew that there were always some enthusiastic NPCs in games. All she had to do was find one and then, use them a little.
The boy looked at her, puzzled, and his expression suddenly became agitated. "You don't remember what happened before?"
Qing Yue: ...What? She seemed to have found a very important clue.
The boy hesitated for a moment, observing Qing Yue as if judging her trustworthiness. Then, with a shrug, he blurted out, "I don't remember when it started, but every five days, our memories are reset. Only I remember what happened five days ago.
As for you, perhaps you've been here around this time before. I don't remember clearly, but in five days, you'll forget everything. So I'm not afraid to tell you this."
The boy didn't know how long he had been like this. Endless loneliness gnawed at his heart, but he was just an ordinary centurion. The soldiers under his command always had the same expression on their faces. Qing Yue was not an exception to his encounters.
However, every time he tried to invite them to break free from the cycle of fate, they would fail. And the next time he met them, they would be in the same state as the soldiers now.
Qing Yue suddenly remembered which instance this was from. The instance was called: The Wandering Barracks.
This instance told the story of a young man from the Wu tribe who, full of passion, joined the army. However, he encountered unfair treatment. Moreover, the General, their leader, indulged in pleasure all day, solely focused on appeasing the powerful to maintain his own wealth.
Later, in a fit of rage, the young man cast a蛊 (gu) on the entire barracks. Under the influence of the 蛊, they became fierce warriors, impervious to pain. Within two years, they defeated the enemy and returned victorious.
However, the young man only knew how to cast the 蛊. Once it was removed, everyone in the barracks would die. Later, due to the Emperor's suspicion, this invincible army marched to the desert, only to lose their way. No one in the world could find any trace of them.
As a game designer, Qing Yue happened to hear from a colleague about the way to clear the instance. The key lay with the young man.
Qing Yue smiled, her eyes resolute. "In that case, are you willing to take a risk with me?"
"What?" The boy's eyes were filled with confusion, as if he didn't understand.
"The soldiers can't even get enough to eat, yet the General is feasting and drinking. Can you stand by and watch?" she incited.
The boy thought carefully and said seriously, "I cannot stand by and watch."
"What if we rebel against him? You can be the General from now on, and everyone's lives will be better. Perhaps one day, someone will regain their normal selves like you," Qing Yue analyzed the benefits earnestly.
The boy slightly furrowed his brows, a glint flashing in his eyes, clearly tempted. However, he hesitated, "With just the two of us, how can we replace him?"
"It's not just the two of us, but these soldiers too. With them, success will be as easy as pie," Qing Yue pressed on.
"But they are currently..." The boy's expression was conflicted, and memories of the past began to resurface.
"It's alright. You can be their General. With your encouragement and support, they will fight for you, and kill the General for you," Qing Yue continued to coax.
Perhaps the boy had already had this idea. Although he appeared very hesitant at this moment, his eyes eventually became firm, and he nodded in silence.