Chapter 391

Under the young man's guidance, Wang Yu soon arrived before two white game pods with their hatch doors wide open.

Li Xiaodao glanced at the numbers on the white game pods, then nodded and said:

"These are the ones. Note that if you're not a certified mech pilot, you only get one hour. Once inside the game, summon the interface and search for the temporary virtual room with this ID—password is…"

Moments later, Wang Yu lay down inside the white game pod; as the lid sealed shut, darkness engulfed his vision—no light at all—yet he felt fresh air circulating around him, with no sense of suffocation.

A soft "puff" echoed as jelly-like substances sprayed from all directions, instantly enveloping his body, while a faint tingling sensation prickled at his head and cervical spine, as if something clung tightly to him.

The next instant, blinding white light flooded his vision; after a dizzying whirl, his feet firmly stood on a gleaming dark-gray metal floor.

People bustled around him, mostly in various uniforms, with a few in white civilian attire.

Not far away, small armed mechs, several feet tall, patrolled back and forth, as if on alert.

"Mars Base"

Wang Yu murmured under his breath.

This was precisely the Mars Base he had reached after clearing the beginner level in the game—the mech pilot hall, dedicated to all matters concerning mech pilots.

A year ago, only a handful of players had reached here, but now, a sea of heads bearing the glowing word "Player" filled the crowd.

Most of these players wore the same dark green uniforms as he did; only a few wore striking blue uniforms, each adorned with a silver mechanical planet badge on their chests.

These were the official mech pilot badges.

Elite mech pilots, it was said, wore gold ones.

Seeing this, Wang Yu glanced down at himself and saw a blue mechanical planet badge firmly pinned to his chest.

He was, in the game, still a provisional mech pilot—the majority of players known in the real world as mech pilot apprentices.

Wang Yu wasn't surprised; though he had already cultivated third-grade Star Mind Force, he had never officially certified his mech pilot status in the game.

He knew that becoming a certified mech pilot required passing an extremely rigorous examination—allegedly brutal, even requiring a touch of luck—hence why, in "Star River," fewer than one hundred thousand held official mech pilot status, each instantly becoming a top-tier talent in their respective nations.

But he hadn't entered "Star River" to take the certification—he had other urgent business.

Thinking of this, Wang Yu swept one hand before him; a pale, glowing screen materialized midair. He tapped a few commands and entered a sequence of numbers.

The next instant, the surroundings blurred; he reappeared on a long, white corridor.

On both sides stood row upon row of silver doors, stretching endlessly in either direction, each door labeled with a room number.

He glanced at the number on the silver door before him—it clearly bore black characters.

Without hesitation, Wang Yu stepped forward, pressed both hands against the silver door, and silently recited another long string of numbers.

A sharp "zzzt" sounded.

The door slowly opened; he raised an eyebrow and stepped inside.

The silver door slowly closed behind him.

Wang Yu had taken only a few steps inside when he halted abruptly.

The scene beyond the door was utterly unexpected!

Before him lay a small lake spanning nearly a li, its center dotted with white swans; a path of white pebbles circled the shore, and a few scattered emerald willows lined the banks.

A spring breeze stirred the water, the swans called out, and one couldn't help but feel utterly entranced.

But Wang Yu's gaze fixed on a long wooden bench by the lake, facing the door, where a middle-aged man sat, engrossed in a book.

"Chen Boshi"

Wang Yu recognized the man's face and felt a surge of relief, calling out loudly.

The middle-aged man set down his book, glanced at Wang Yu, said nothing, but gestured for him to come closer.

Wang Yu strode forward; compared to the stern, expressionless General Xu, he knew this Chen Boshi better and felt more at ease with him.

"Chen Boshi"

Moments later, Wang Yu reached the bench and called out to the middle-aged man again.

"Sit. This lake is a famous scenic spot from my hometown—some call it Bai E Hu." Chen Boshi said nothing else, patted the seat beside him, signaling Wang Yu to sit.

"Bai E Hu"

Wang Yu murmured the name, sat down without ceremony, and wondered if he'd ever heard of this place in Huaguo.

"Don't bother thinking. Bai E Hu doesn't exist in present-day Huaguo." Chen Boshi smiled, as if reading his thoughts.

"Doctor, what do you mean by 'present-day Huaguo'?" Wang Yu asked, sensing something deeper, his voice instinctive.

"Heh, you didn't know? Asking that suggests you might indeed be Ding Yu—this body's consciousness, at least, likely belongs to him." Chen Boshi chuckled.

"Doctor, you still don't fully believe me." Wang Yu's eyes flickered slightly before he asked slowly.

"I don't know whether to believe you or not. But since you walked in, I've seen no difference between you and the original Ding Yu. Logically, you shouldn't even be here." Chen Boshi's expression remained unchanged.

"Shouldn't be here? What do you mean?" Wang Yu frowned.

"It means, theoretically, you never left the base—you couldn't possibly be abroad." Chen Boshi stared at Wang Yu, speaking slowly, word by word.

"Never left the base? Then what am I? Doctor, stop beating around the bush—just tell me why you're saying this." Wang Yu felt a growing dread, his tone grave.

Chen Boshi fell silent, studying Wang Yu for a long while before speaking softly:

"Simple. You're dead.

When that British psychic infiltrated the base, his electromagnetic field went out of control—Ding Yu died on the spot, his body reduced to charcoal. But due to his special status, his remains were preserved intact in the base."

"Body turned to charcoal? Already dead?"

Wang Yu froze after hearing Chen Boshi's words. Flashbacks of Helena's psychic Shikong surged through his mind; his face shifted through expressions, and he remained silent for a long time.

"So I'm curious—who are you?

I heard you can sketch the Four Beasts' Essence Diagrams—and reports say yours are even better than the base's standardized versions?" Chen Boshi studied Wang Yu with curiosity, as if observing a rare new species.