Races: Online (VR Smartphone App)

Chapter 203: Escaping The Veiled World

His skills were helping him out to some extent, but even they had their own limitations. What use was [ Mental Fortitude ] and its calm mind effect if he was still in a dangerous position? It hardly offered any solutions. Han Jing really wouldn't have been stuck here in the first place if he actually knew how to escape or even cast magic maybe, but now he needed to rely on the guy in front of him.

Even if the man didn't trust him.

"...So you really are Han Jing?" Mou Gu gave him a doubtful look.

The man was still wary. And if he could have imagine the man's line of thoughts right now, it probably somehow went like this: But how would my plain and normal acquaintance get involved in a situation like this one

Ding!

The sound of a notification appeared and showcased a mini screen in the corner of his vision.

Correct Thought Assumption 1/???

Unlock Detect Thoughts When Status Fulfilled

Han Jing sighed and motioned to himself, avoiding the staff in his chest and mustering his best smug grin. "The one and onlyso could I start getting an explanation on where the hell we are before I freak out and pass out?" It was a far cry from that actually happening, but he needed to be confused and hectic or else Mou Gu was going to think that this was just a Monday for him.

Mou Gu stared at him for a couple of seconds before he rubbed his face with his left hand, "Alright, why the hell not. One way or anotheryou pierced the Veil and landed yourself in here. You shouldn't be here is all I'm saying."

"Uh huh?" Han Jing nodded. He was expecting a more cohesive and detailed answer but that was all this guy was going to say? Piercing the Veil sounded vague and a mouthful, which Veil? There was no other name for this? "This isn't some kind of hell is it?"

"What, no! Why would I land myself there?" Mou Gu scrunched up his nose. "You've been secretly judging me this whole time weren't you? But you're also here, so I guess you must think of yourself as some sinner then? But we're not seeing King Yama anytime soon. I'm aiming for longevity, not so sure with you."

Yama King of Hell.

That guy was real too? Or was Mou Gu messing with him nowhe couldn't tell at all. Han Jing considered his answers but went with the truth. At least the truth that he could tell Mou Gu without much risk. He shrugged. "I thought you were a Wizard, but you aren't." He wasn't going to lie about his assumptions about his old acquaintance, but that didn't mean that he should trust this guy. Mou Gu the cook, old friend, was different from Mou Gu, guy with staff right now.

At least his agendas were different now.

"...do me a favor and hit yourself in the head. Why did you think I was some magician?" Mou Gu chuckled and shook his head. "You're really ridiculous sometimes. Was it this staff? It's not a magical rod or something. It's a classical weapon."

"No, noI just learned that you're some cultivator, isn't that supposed to be as ridiculous as being a Mage?" Han Jing rolled his eyes. He couldn't help it, how to actbe normal? He was caught in between having a front or being completely himself, but then again, he honestly didn't know how to react to this. Even with all of the [ Mental Fortitude ] going on for him.

Wait, there was something more important than learning about this place, he needed to prioritize that first. "Do tell me that we're able to leave this placeI'm not stuck here, am I?" He preferred on learning how to get out of this dark and lonely world. This wasn't Races: Online, he needed to get more serious and wary wait, what if this 'Mou Gu' right now was supposed to be some mirror clone or something else?

"I'll get you out, Han Jingbut try not to end up here again, alright?"

"That's a tough thing to request." He shrugged, "I don't even have a slightest clue on how I got here." He had a guess that it was related to him having his phone aroundbut it didn't happen before so cross that out. It must be because of his Soul Calibration?

"Probably just a flukeI hope it is. I won't always be around to get you out of trouble, Han Jing." Mou Gu frowned and poked him in the chest with the staff. Not lightly even.

He winced and held his chest, "Ow. Trying to bruise me or something? Do you still not believe that I'm really your friend?" A sound of a notification going off blasted in the background.

A guilty smile formed on Mou Gu's face.

"Checking if you're not some kind of Huli Jing with a complete mastery of illusionsthat would have been troublesome." The cultivator sighed and made his staff disappear in one flick of his wrist.

It happened so fast that he almost couldn't believe itif it weren't for the fact that he could guess what exactly happened. "Magical Storage huh? Convenient." Han Jing crossed his arms over his chest. It was childish, but he thought that was kind of unfair since he couldn't even get his own [ Inventory ] up and running yet.

Although how many spirit stones or jade slips was something like that?

Not that he could afford it for sure.

"Of course you're able to guess what I have." Mou Gu snorted and showed off his bracelet. A couple of beads were stringed together with little inscriptions on them. "This is a spatial storage bracelet though, not 'magic', Jing."

Han Jing waved him off, "I get that, but if you actually read any web novels"

"Tut, tut. We're going now, prepare yourself. Well, it's not hard getting back to normal." A soft sigh escaped the man's lips, he had his hand on his bracelet. "You're not supposed to be here, alright? Don't panic when we get backI don't want you screaming in my ear."

"You're not going to explain anything, are you?" Han Jing sighed.

"I don't have toand I think you've got a good enough head on your shoulders to not say this to anyone else, right?"

"Nobody will believe me, even if I try." The sound of a ding confirmed his thoughts before his friend could even say a word.

"Exactly." Mou Gu grinned. "I wouldn't want to see you end up in a psychiatric ward."

Han Jing grunted, "Alright, let's go back. This place is kinda creeping me out now."

"As it should beit's no place for a human."

"You're a human." He pointed out.

"I'm kind of super-human."

"I don't think that's how it works, Mou Gu" His vision filled with multiple shard fractals of his surroundings. It was like a puzzle, the crack of something shattered in his ear like frozen ice. But there and then everything pieced itself back together.

And then everything went back to normal.

The uncomfortable tension in the air disappeared, his atmosphere brightened up. And he could even smell the smoke in the city. Han Jing looked up and saw the night sky again, and he didn't think he would be utterly relieved by the sight of stars and a full moon. He still couldn't fully contemplate what had happened, but this was an experience that

Mou Gu slapped something on his face.

"What the heck" A white strip of cloth dangled on top of the bridge of his nose, he made a move to reach for it and threw a look at the guy in front of him. It wouldn't get off of his forehead, stuck by some unnatural adhesive or something else. "What do you think you're doing? You're not trying to kill me now?"

Of course that wasn't itsomething else came up on his mind as the answer. It was easy to read, especially from the look on the other man's face as everything soon made sense.

"It wouldn't be any use explaining things to you, Han Jing." Mou Gu sighed and gave him a resigned smile. "You'll end up forgetting them anyway. I bet you can guess what's on your forehead since you've actually read a lot of those Xianxia stories, it's all for the best." He snapped his fingers.

The memory-sealing talisman burned itself on Han Jing's forehead.

His surroundings darkened