Chapter Fifty-Seven: Uncovering the True Identity of Selos

Chapter Fifty-Seven: Discovering Sairus’s Identity

To move freely here, to know the map intimately, and to be respected by the guard NPCs—shouldn’t the first person you think of be the master of the Demon Palace? That is, what players generally call the Demon Emperor.

Shen Ce was troubled by the absurd idea forming in his mind. The Demon Emperor, as the highest-ranking NPC of the Demon clan in "Heaven's Traverse," and also the sworn enemy of the Light faction’s boss, was not a role he could imagine the game developers assigning to their own staff for reasons of fairness. Shen Ce was startled by this realization; he found himself caught in a strange cycle, as it was he who first proposed the connection between Sairus and "Heaven's Traverse." Sairus himself had never formally confirmed it, always responding ambiguously whenever the subject arose.

If he dismissed the notion that Sairus was a staff member of "Heaven’s Traverse"… Shen Ce’s heart jolted. Perhaps he really was mistaken. He began to recall their first meeting—didn’t he initially believe Sairus to be an NPC? He had thought at the time that no player could possess such terrifying skill.

If Sairus wasn’t a player, but merely an NPC, everything fell into place: Sairus could appear anywhere, never actively completing quests or fighting monsters, yet possessed extraordinary combat strength. Most importantly, Shen Ce had never seen any other player, besides himself, appear at Sairus’s side.

Was this truly the life of a normal player?

Shen Ce’s throat inexplicably felt dry, for he realized that ever since he met Sairus, Sairus’s entire presence in "Heaven’s Traverse" seemed centered solely around him. He had only seen Sairus mention leaving once, and was a darkened avatar truly proof of logging off?

If Sairus really was an NPC, then how could he undertake quests together with Shen Ce, or even marry him? Shen Ce’s expression became dazed; he recalled sci-fi films from decades past, stories of intelligent minds gaining true sentience and attempting to control humans. Yet in reality, after nearly a century of AI development, nothing of the sort had ever occurred.

“What’s wrong?” Sairus turned, seeing Shen Ce frozen in place, lost in silent contemplation.

Shen Ce struggled to accept this truth. He looked up at Sairus, forcing a smile to his lips. “Sairus, Shui Linglong just sent me a private message. Someone’s causing trouble in the Treasure Pavilion. It’s a tricky matter—I need to leave for a bit. Why don’t you go look for the sacred relic first?”

Sairus paused, then his expression quickly darkened. “Zero, why are you lying to me?”

Shen Ce was stunned, unable to grasp how Sairus knew he had fabricated the story.

Sairus’s profile looked lonely; his silver cloak fluttered in the corridor’s wind. “You can’t send private messages in the Demon Palace. Haven’t you noticed?”

Shen Ce was now utterly dumbfounded. He checked the information panel and indeed found many things missing. The message bar at the top was gone.

“Have you guessed my identity?” Sairus stepped forward, gripping Shen Ce’s shoulder firmly, his gaze tinged with anger. “Do you think I’ll kill you?”

Was Sairus admitting he wasn’t a player?

Shen Ce tried desperately to calm himself. Truth be told, ever since the amethyst mine illusion, he had felt a certain fear towards Sairus, but he didn’t believe Sairus wished him harm. He simply couldn’t understand why Sairus, as an NPC, would choose to accompany him for so long. Did he find Shen Ce interesting? Or was it simply because Shen Ce treated him as a player, which Sairus found novel?

Shen Ce’s gaze towards Sairus suddenly carried a hint of sympathy, as he couldn’t imagine Sairus’s predicament. If, one day, he was inadvertently told that the world he lived in was fake, that everything was preordained, how would he react? Shen Ce didn’t know; perhaps he would break down…

“Are you pitying me?” The anger faded from Sairus’s eyes, replaced by a calm that held too much within, making Shen Ce uneasy.

Shen Ce lowered his head, avoiding Sairus’s gaze. His voice was hoarse: “Sorry.” As he spoke, he silently murmured the command to log out. Learning Sairus was an NPC had caught him completely off guard; he needed to log off to regain his composure.

He waited for the familiar white light of logout to flash, but after nearly a minute, nothing happened!

How could this be? The veins at Shen Ce’s temple throbbed; he glanced at the info panel, confirming he wasn’t in PK mode, and reassured himself it was merely a system delay. He repeated the logout command, but as the seconds ticked by, the usual prompt failed to appear.

His breathing grew rapid. He stubbornly persisted, but the white light simply wouldn’t come.

Taking a deep breath, Shen Ce prepared to try again, but Sairus watched him with a lazy, half-smiling expression. “Zero, stop trying. It’s useless.”

At these words, Shen Ce’s heart sank. He’d heard of timed maps where players couldn’t log out for a set period, but he’d already noticed his quest panel was missing, and there had been no system prompt about time restrictions.

“Sairus, can you alter the program?” Shen Ce stared at the tall figure before him, speaking each word slowly, his fingertips trembling uncontrollably.

A truly sentient Sairus was the greatest bug in "Heaven’s Traverse," equipped with some of the finest data. Once he mutated, altering other programs would be no challenge.

Yet Shen Ce had never imagined Sairus could become so powerful as to prevent him from logging out!

Shen Ce was a professional player; he spent more time in-game than in reality, but that didn’t mean he wanted to remain in the game forever!

Sairus’s smile was genuinely pleased, though his tone carried a hint of regret. “Honestly, I wanted to see that world you mentioned. But even though I control the logout program, I simply can’t log out myself.”

You lack a corresponding body in reality—how could you log out?

“Isn’t it good to stay here?” Sairus’s voice was quiet, tinged with a melancholic longing.

Stay in the game? Shen Ce shuddered. At heart, he was too much a realist. Towards Sairus, he felt awe and some affection, but to remain in a game for Sairus’s sake—he simply couldn’t accept it.

He glanced up into those deep, night-like eyes, but said nothing. According to "Heaven’s Traverse" lore, the Demon clan’s gaze possessed a special magic, capable of subtly influencing thoughts. To avoid Sairus’s interference, Shen Ce closed his eyes and began searching for a way out.

Shen Ce’s own profession was programming, and he considered himself quite skilled. All programs had their flaws; Sairus, as a data entity, even with consciousness, was no exception.

“Open your eyes,” Sairus suddenly embraced Shen Ce, whispering gently in his ear.

That unfamiliar breath brushed his cheek, sending Shen Ce’s heart racing. Scenes from the illusion flashed through his mind, along with the words of that middle-aged man—every illusion here is half-real, half-fake. Even if it isn’t what you imagine, it’s something you’ve experienced before.

“Sairus, do you really like me?” Feeling the cool warmth of the other’s body, Shen Ce reluctantly opened his eyes, only to be stunned by the sight before him. The earlier tension had faded.

They had already left the Demon Palace and stood atop a mountain before it, the view from here wondrous and picturesque. Yet, no matter how beautiful, it couldn’t ease Shen Ce’s heart.

“I thought you knew long ago,” Sairus replied with a smile, his eyes bright and narrow. He held Shen Ce and sat down, the wind rustling their robes.

“Could you let go of me?” Shen Ce realized he had been too careless earlier. If he hadn’t resisted Sairus’s NPC identity so strongly, perhaps they might have coexisted peacefully for a while longer.

Seeing Sairus refuse to release him, Shen Ce sighed. “It’s uncomfortable being held like this,” he said, trying to break free.

But Shen Ce quickly stilled, his face darkening instantly. The thing pressing against him from behind—he knew he wasn’t mistaken…

“You’re the one who started moving,” Sairus replied cheerfully, feigning innocence, though his tone betrayed unmistakable pride.

With those intense purple eyes fixed upon him, Shen Ce didn’t need to look to sense their fervor. Now, with an even more threatening presence, his voice was parched. “Don’t.”

Shen Ce was a man himself; he knew how impulsive men could be. “At least not here.”

Sairus’s eyes lit up, like snow melting in spring, and Shen Ce’s heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly added, “And not now. Give me some time to think.”

But Shen Ce knew, no matter how much time he was given, his feelings wouldn’t change. From the very beginning, he had never thought of accepting Sairus. If Sairus had been a player, there might have been a chance; now, he had completely abandoned any thought of being together.

Author’s Note: A plot twist lover’s wild fancy→→ Did anyone guess it… I really am hopeless at writing romance. Next time, I’ll make it the main storyline, qaq. Or maybe I’ll try something silly and sweet【(:3ゝ∠)】