Quick Travel to the Clouds

Chapter 767 Challenge Dungeon 23

In the center of the stone gate, there is a distinct, palm-shaped indentation.

This is the true entrance to the hidden dungeon space.

Xie Yipei released his arm from Yun Chu, but the elemental fluctuations around him did not completely subside, and he remained vigilant.

He looked at the stone gate, then glanced back – the way he came had vanished, leaving only solid rock walls.

He walked to the stone gate and examined the indented palm print.

Yun Chu immediately took two steps back to create distance, quickly calming her breathing and heartbeat, while having the Wind and Cloud Beast explore the surrounding environment.

The little creature crouched low, its nostrils flaring, its amber eyes shining brightly in the dim light, and it did not issue a warning.

Xie Yipei reached out and tentatively pressed his hand against the palm print.

Just as his palm was about to touch the stone door, the vine patterns on it suddenly lit up with a blinding white light!

An irresistible suction force emanated from the palm print, instantly drawing his entire hand in!

Immediately afterwards, a cold system notification sounded in both his and Yun Chu's minds, but unlike the previous direct assignments, this time the voice carried a more grand and mechanical sense of rule:

Two qualified explorers have been detected.

[Scanning individual characteristics, energy spectrum, soul wavelength...]

[Scan complete. Matching preset 'character template'...]

【Successful match! 】

The hidden dungeon 'The Stage of the Mortal World' is now open.

[Instance Type: Immersive Role-Playing Game]

[Core Rule:]

1. You will be given a legitimate identity and corresponding memories (surface layer) in this world, and you must play the role perfectly until the end of the instance.

2. Conceal your true 'player' nature and avoid being identified or captured by the 'rule watchdogs' (investigators) of this world.

3. The mission objective will be released after the identity is loaded.

4. Identity is bound and cannot be changed. Violating role logic or exposing anomalies will increase the probability of being detected by the 'rule watchdog'.

[Loading countdown: 5…4…3…]

Yun Chu's pupils constricted sharply! Role-playing? Granting an identity and memories? This was even more bizarre and unpredictable than direct combat!

Before she could react or ask any questions, the countdown had already ended.

The white light on the stone gate suddenly surged, engulfing her and Xie Yipei's figures.

Countless streams of light, like a torrent of data, forcefully flooded into their consciousness!

A violent wave of dizziness and a feeling of loss of consciousness washed over me...

When my consciousness returned, the first thing I felt was the soft mattress and the bright but not glaring morning light shining through my eyelids.

The crisp chirping of birds reached her ears, along with the faint sounds of city noise in the distance—not the mechanical roar of the cyber city she had encountered before, but rather the familiar, normal background sounds of a modern city.

Yun Chu slowly opened her eyes.

What comes into view is a warm and tidy bedroom.

Beige walls, natural wood furniture, several potted plants on the bay window, sunlight streaming through light gray curtains, casting warm dappled light on the floor.

She was lying on a double bed, covered with a soft down comforter and wearing comfortable cotton pajamas.

A clear, yet clearly "implanted" memory naturally surfaced in my mind:

Her name is Li Yu, she is 24 years old and a new employee in the marketing department of a large multinational company called "Huanyu Technology".

Three months ago, she married Shen He (played by Xie Yipei), a senior engineer in the R&D department of the same company.

This is their new house in the new urban area, which they bought with a loan and just moved into last month.

Today is Thursday, a workday. She needs to go to work.

Her memories were detailed and fragmented, including details about her colleagues, her boss's personality, recent projects, even her favorite breakfast and her usual subway commute route...

Like a meticulously crafted background setting, it seamlessly covered her original consciousness, yet strangely managed to distinguish it from her original cognition, as if it had an extra layer of "skin" that could be accessed at any time.

Is this what they mean by "the assigned identity and corresponding memories (surface layer)"? It really is just the surface layer.

Just then, a slight noise came from beside me.

Yun Chu's body stiffened, and she slowly turned her head.

Xie Yipei was lying next to her.

His eyes were closed, as if he were still asleep, and his handsome profile appeared slightly softer in the morning light.

He was also wearing the same dark pajamas, with the blanket covering his chest.

The intimate understanding that belonged to her as her "husband" and the cold, humiliating reality that belonged to her as the "contract owner" clashed violently in her mind, making her feel a little breathless for a moment.

Seemingly sensing her gaze, Xie Yipei's eyelashes fluttered, and then he opened his eyes.

Those deep eyes held a hint of languid confusion upon first waking, but almost instantly regained their clarity, sharp and profound. He had also finished receiving the "identity memories."

His gaze fell on Yun Chu's face, lingered for a few seconds, and his eyes deepened, revealing a complex and unfathomable mix of emotions—a scrutiny of the new instance rules, an understanding of the current situation, and perhaps... something else entirely.

He suddenly reached out and naturally put his arm around Yun Chu's waist, pulling her closer to him.

"Good morning, wife." His voice was low and hoarse from just waking up, and he called her by her "identity" affectionately, his warm breath brushing against her ear.

Yun Chu froze, instinctively trying to break free.

However, the memories of her identity as a "newlywed wife" and the copy rule of "not violating the character's logic" acted like two shackles, firmly binding her actions and reactions.

She couldn't act like a victim being touched by a stranger, especially on this "wedding bed."

She was forced to press herself against his warm chest, where she could clearly feel his steady heartbeat and the warmth emanating from his pajamas.

Xie Yipei's crisp, clean scent, mixed with a faint aftershave fragrance, enveloped her.

"Good morning..." she barely managed to squeeze out the word, her cheeks burning uncontrollably, her body stiff as a piece of wood.

Xie Yipei seemed quite satisfied with her reaction of suppressing her discomfort yet having no choice but to comply.

He chuckled softly, a sound that was particularly clear and, more so, rather... ambiguous, in the quiet bedroom that early morning.

Instead of letting go, he lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"You should get up in five more minutes."

His tone was incredibly natural, as if he were a considerate husband reminding his wife who was still in bed, "Today is Thursday. I remember you have a project progress meeting with Zhou's Company this afternoon? Have you prepared all the materials?"

He spoke fluently about the details of his "identity memories," so naturally, so...immersed in the role.

Yun Chu felt her forehead, where he had kissed, burning hot, and her heart pounding wildly. She felt both ashamed and indignant, as well as a sense of powerlessness at being forcibly dragged into this absurd drama.

"Almost...almost there..." she replied, her voice hoarse.

"Mmm." Xie Yipei responded, his arm still around her, and he even raised his other hand to gently brush away a stray hair from her cheek with his fingertips. His movements were tender and affectionate, but his eyes were unfathomable, as if he were admiring every subtle bit of her embarrassment and stiffness.