Infinitely Criticizing the Villain for Being Like My Ex-Boyfriend

Zhang Chunliang was having a breakdown because Xiao Ai had eaten something unclean - if he hadn't happened to see a blood-red eye popping out of its collar, he would never have thought that in just the ten minutes or so that he and Wang Shaofan were communicating, this bad guy had eaten a passing passenger!

Of course, if Xiao Ai could speak, it might defend itself by saying that this passenger with snail eyes was so bold that he wanted to secretly eat Zhang Chunliang, and it caught him, so it ate him.

But Xiao Ai couldn't speak, so he could only let Zhang Chunliang pull at its collar and take out a dozen sausages with eyes from its freshly ironed shirt.

Zhang Chunliang was even more devastated.

"Baby..." He threw the still squirming sausage on the ground and asked weakly, "Next time you eat these dirty things, can you tell me first so that I can stay away from you——"

When Big Bones heard what he said, he shook his head so fast that his hood almost fell off.

"Excuse me..." Wang Shaofan's voice came from behind the two of them.

He had just finished half a cigarette and his legs were already apart, allowing him to walk freely.

"You can stand up now, so fast!" Zhang Chunliang turned his head with a surprised expression.

"Yes... this cigarette..." Wang Shaofan smiled comfortably. He was about to remind Zhang Chunliang that it was his magical cigarette that helped him get rid of the pollution - but when the words came to his lips, he suddenly stopped.

Zhang Chunliang was looking at him curiously with her beautiful eyes, looking gentle and friendly.

Wang Shaofan's newly repaired brain began to work frantically - did he really not know the use of cigarettes? This NPC in robes looked quite mysterious and difficult to mess with, so how could the things he took out be easily mistaken for ordinary cigarettes?

What on earth did Zhang Chunliang want to do? He would have exchanged two detoxification pills with me at an equal value, but he gave me this precious life-saving item for free.

He has been in the dungeon for many years and understands one thing best - free is the most expensive.

Wang Shaofan's expression was a little complicated for a moment.

Just imagine, what would happen if he really treated Zhang Chunliang as a fool and exchanged points or copy currency with him for cigarettes?

Everything that is happening now is more like a test, a test that Zhang Chunliang uses to select qualified partners.

"...What can I do?" He figured out the key point and spoke directly.

Zhang Chunliang was stunned and laughed at the guy's agility and calmness - Wang Shaofan was a rare player who was smart and sensible, and he was hard to come by.

Suddenly, a murderous aura came from around the two of them.

When Xiao Ai saw that Zhang Chunliang, who was angry with him, was actually amused by a stranger, he felt something was wrong with his whole body and began to twist around in dissatisfaction - he probably wanted to wag his tail, but now he only had two human legs.

Zhang Chunliang just thought it was throwing a tantrum, being naughty and cute, but he didn't know that Wang Shaofan on the other side had already retreated in horror, with the hair on his body standing on end.

Murderous intent, it was undisguised murderous intent.

He didn't dare look directly at the indifferent and cold darkness under the hood. He was being looked at by a cold and terrifying gaze, as if he had accidentally entered the inviolable territory of an ancient behemoth.

"Is it because your human legs are uncomfortable?" Zhang Chunliang sensed that the atmosphere was unusually tense, and he approached Da Gutou and asked softly, "How about I change it back for you?"

Xiao Ai then sat down quietly and reservedly again - changing back to a big tail meant that it could no longer stand and chat with Zhang Chunliang, and it could still distinguish between what was more important and what was not.

Zhang Chunliang pinched its neck bone soothingly, turned to look at Wang Shaofan, and asked with a smile: "Let's chat?"

Zhang Chunliang didn't expect the cigarette to be so powerful.

In his imagination, the things Xiao Ai found all have certain anti-pollution effects, and should be able to help Wang Shaofan alleviate some of his symptoms. If he is lucky, he might even be able to survive and pass the level.

He admired Wang Shaofan a little. This player was not a bad person and was also very capable, making him very suitable as a partner in the dungeon.

However, although Wang Shaofan is very socially polite, he cannot hide his arrogance. If Zhang Chunliang cannot produce something that makes him look up to him, he will not cooperate with Zhang Chunliang wholeheartedly.

This cigarette was both Zhang Chunliang's silent gesture of goodwill and a test of Wang Shaofan.

Fortunately, he passed.

"Players like you are the ones we hate the most." Wang Shaofan spoke first.

The two men leaned on the deck, the sea breeze was howling, and Big Bone was glaring at them from behind. No one dared to approach this area.

Wang Shaofan gradually calmed down from the ecstasy of regaining his life. He smiled and looked at Zhang Chunliang and explained, "In the dungeon, most players will avoid contact with NPCs. There is a recognized rule in the game that is, if you are not absolutely sure, never, never, never provoke NPCs."

The original NPC Zhang Chunliang nodded calmly: "Why do you say that?"

"I don't know how many players have been tricked by NPCs, who deliberately gave them wrong information, killed them and got their equipment. Some NPCs even awakened their self-awareness due to bugs and tried to replace the players and leave the dungeon..."

Wang Shaofan smiled bitterly and said, "This game is too bizarre and too realistic. Sometimes I even wonder... Is it possible that this is not a game, but a real world? Every NPC is so flesh and blood that people can't help but ignore that they are just a string of data..."

Zhang Chunliang looked at Wang Shaofan with a bit of admiration. He was able to recognize the true nature of the game because of his boyfriend and the Holy Father System, but this guy was able to guess the horrifying truth in a completely closed copy. He was indeed very perceptive.

Wang Shaofan retracted his absent-minded gaze and continued, "Players and NPCs are naturally hostile to each other, regardless of their stance or identity."

This is a kind of uncanny valley effect. NPCs that are too similar to humans make players feel extremely scared and disgusted. The more difficult the copy, the more realistic and flexible the NPCs are, and they may even actively interact with players.

However, no matter whether these NPCs have good intentions or bad intentions, the huge difference between players and NPCs means that they are doomed to have no good results.

Therefore, in every game, players will try their best to avoid developing feelings with NPCs.

"Old players all know a famous event called 'The Fall of the Goddess.'" Wang Shaofan looked up at the clock in the middle of the stage. There was still half an hour before the dance started, so he became interested and began to tell Zhang Chunliang a story.

"The goddess is a nickname for that female player. She should be considered one of the earliest players to enter the Game House. Of course, there may have been players before her, but they are all dead." Wang Shaofan's mouth was a little dull. He exchanged a box of cigarettes from the system and handed one to Zhang Chunliang.

Zhang Chunliang took it politely.

"The goddess was very powerful. She ranked third on the player list that was full of experts at the time. The first two players died in the dungeon. Players are replaced too quickly, and few people remember them. Only the goddess' story is still talked about today."

Zhang Chunliang became interested. He seemed to know what Wang Shaofan was going to say next.

"The story is quite cliché." Wang Shaofan exhaled a puff of smoke, "She fell in love with an NPC and stayed in the dungeon."

Zhang Chunliang was stunned and clenched his hands slightly on the railing.

"The dungeon in the Game House can only accommodate one group of players in a game. Only when this group of players clears the level or dies, can the next group be sent in. The goddess had already found the clue to pass the level, but she destroyed the key props and chose to stay in that dungeon forever. Theoretically, as long as she didn't die, no player could set foot in that dungeon."

"How terrifying! A top player can actually do this for a virtual NPC."

Zhang Chunliang suddenly turned his head and looked at the big bone in the distance.

It was staring at Zhang Chunliang in a daze, and when it saw him looking at it, it immediately raised its shoulders and waved to him.

Without Zhang Chunliang noticing, it didn't know how long it had maintained this posture.

"Are you okay?" Wang Shaofan looked at him suspiciously. "The sea breeze is too strong. Do you want to change places? Your eyes are a little red."

"I'm fine." Zhang Chunliang's voice trembled a little, and he cleared his throat.

"What happened to the goddess later?" Zhang Chunliang asked.

"Dead. About a year later, the copy that was 'blocked' by her suddenly began to accommodate new players. This means that all the players inside were dead. How can a player and an NPC have a good ending?" Wang Shaofan said solemnly, looking lazily at the surging black water below.

Zhang Chunliang slowly tightened his grip on the railing.

"Later, players who entered the dungeon saw the goddess. Her skin was peeled off and made into a painting, which was hung in the middle of the palace for people to admire. Some curious players have specifically explored her ending. Her NPC husband deliberately lured her to stay, just to get the magical props on her body."

"The goddess was skinned and dismembered, and the NPCs didn't find any items on her. She had just given birth to her child..."

At this point, Wang Shaofan had a strange expression on his face. He was probably a little surprised that humans and NPCs could have children: "The child disappeared later."

He sighed: "See, even a strong woman who stands among the top players can still be carried away by emotions."

"That's quite strange." Zhang Chunliang nodded. "How could a top player with strong sense not see through the hypocritical lies of an NPC? I think there may be something else behind this story."

Wang Shaofan looked at him in surprise, then nodded: "That makes sense, but it's been a long time since that happened, and the speed of time in the dungeon is different from that in reality. No one cares about the truth anymore."

"I kind of understand what you want to tell me." Zhang Chunliang pulled the corner of his mouth. "You want to advise me not to develop feelings for NPCs, right?"

"Many players dislike those who interact too closely with NPCs." Wang Shaofan noticed that he was not in a good mood, so he dusted off his cigarette ash and brought the topic back to the topic. "They can easily bring unexpected troubles to the mission, and then not only will they be in trouble, but other players will also be implicated."

"Really?" Zhang Chunliang said, "But that 'big trouble' just now saved your life."

Wang Shaofan smiled and said, "You saved my life. If it weren't for you, I would never have had any contact with NPCs. I haven't finished yet. Players hate players who interact too closely with NPCs, but they are also envious of them. Do you think it is easy to get the favor of NPCs? There is a special seduction guild in the game house, which is famous for seducing NPCs to complete tasks. The casualty rate of their members is extremely high."

“Although I don’t want to admit it, it is generally recognized that the most efficient way to pass the level is to make friends with the NPCs. If you are lucky enough to get help from a powerful NPC, it would be simply—” Wang Shaofan glanced at the strange man in the long robe behind the two of them, and pressed his chest with lingering fear.

“It’s like divine help.”

Zhang Chunliang was no longer in the mood to listen to stories. He just wanted to go back, hug his big bone and rub it to ease his bad mood.

At this moment, he suddenly thought of Shen Xingyi - when all the players were so afraid of NPCs, how did Shen Xingyi convince himself to fall in love with an NPC? Before that, had anyone warned him that falling in love with an NPC was digging his own grave?

As it turned out, he really didn't have a good ending.

"Thank you for your reminder." Zhang Chunliang said, "I understand what you mean."

Wang Shaofan shook his head, with a mysterious smile on his face: "You don't understand."

Zhang Chunliang, who was about to leave, suddenly stopped. He frowned and carefully studied Wang Shaofan's expression.

"I originally wanted to keep this matter in my heart and never tell anyone until I die." Wang Shaofan took a puff of cigarette, enjoying the happiness at the moment, "But you saved me, I have to repay you."

"The dungeon world we are in has been changed by the main system. Before the change, its name was 'Heart of the King'." Wang Shaofan explained considerately, "It was changed because a player destroyed the game mechanism and destroyed important clues to pass the level."

Zhang Chunliang slowly opened his eyes, seeming to understand what Wang Shaofan meant.

"Yes, this is the world where the goddess fell." Wang Shaofan smiled modestly, "I am the young master of the guild founded by the goddess, and I have a tool that can communicate with her consciousness."

Zhang Chunliang's throat rolled, and he instantly understood the value of this sentence.

"Although the tasks to clear the game are different, they are all extensions of the same world, so they naturally have similarities. The goddess will definitely be able to help us find the key clues..." Wang Shaofan patted Zhang Chunliang on the shoulder, "The prop has a total of three opportunities to communicate. I used it once when I first entered the game."

"The first message told me that the child the goddess disappeared with was the fallen mermaid king."

Zhang Chunliang suddenly looked at him with a look of surprise.

Wang Shaofan called up his system interface and looked at the treasures of the Mermaid King, none of which he had collected, and let out a helpless sigh.

"We have to speed up the progress. Up to now, almost all the players have died, but there is no clue to complete the mission." Wang Shaofan complained, "In a way, the Mermaid King and I are cousins. Why doesn't my uncle give me any face?"

Zhang Chunliang was speechless for a moment. He really wanted to tell this "cousin" that the life-saving cigarette was the belated coming-of-age gift given to him by the Mermaid King.

"when--"

As the two chatted, it was already midnight and a dull bell rang in the venue.

Captain Will stood in the center of the stage and said in a hoarse voice: "Dear friends, we are going to have an unforgettable night."

"For the first activity of the dance party, please invite your favorite dance partner and dance to the beautiful music—"

"We can talk about the rest when we have time." Zhang Chunliang quickly ended the topic.

He turned around, adjusted his bow tie, and looked at the silly Xiao Ai in the distance.

For a moment, he was actually a little nervous.

He coughed lightly and walked forward.

Big Bone was wrapped in a dull robe, looking like a bare tree trunk, and he quietly watched Zhang Chunliang walk towards him.

Zhang Chunliang suddenly felt a little regretful for letting it give up those beautiful suits. It had carefully collected so many clothes just to make them more suitable for standing next to him.

"Excuse me..." He walked up to the tall bone and raised his hand solemnly, "Can I ask you to dance with me?"