(2/20)
Anchor Hall
Chapter 280: Secret Council
Unexpectedly, the location of the “Secret Council” didn’t quite match its name—it didn’t seem very secretive at all.
The address displayed was right in the center of the anchor hall.
Despite his confusion, Wen Jianyan arrived at the appointed time and place.
This was the core area of the anchor hall, the place most familiar to all anchors. The high, arched ceilings, the smooth lines, and the bustling crowds were all exactly as he remembered, nearly indistinguishable from the past.
—Almost.
Wen Jianyan’s gaze fell on the center of the hall.
There, standing alone, was an old-fashioned red elevator, like a solitary phone booth, neatly positioned amidst the bustling crowd.
It stood out sharply, yet everyone around it acted as if they couldn’t see it, walking past without a second glance.
“……”
Wen Jianyan slowly narrowed his eyes.
In his memory, there had never been an elevator here.
Perhaps to help anchors acclimate to their surroundings, most areas in Nightmare were designed to closely resemble the real world, simulating the sky, ground, weather, day, and night… It was almost like a vast, real city.
When living here day and night, it was easy for people to forget that they were inside a massive, deadly game.
However, if one looked closely, it was still possible to notice significant differences from the real world.
Within each area, anchors could naturally walk between buildings, but if they wanted to leave one area and travel to another, there was no need for transportation. They could simply use an elevator to move between regions.
Moreover, in Nightmare, anything one desired could be exchanged for points.
Better suites, top-tier services, more luxurious material comforts…
Even the enormous and exquisitely crafted headquarters of the Oracle could be modified in any way, as long as one had enough points.
All these details were constant reminders:
Here, the concepts of space and material were fundamentally different from those in the real world.
Wen Jianyan took a deep breath, then began walking toward the elevator that no one else seemed able to see.
During the entire process, not a single anchor glanced in his direction, as if he too didn’t exist.
Cognitive interference, perhaps.
The elevator doors slowly opened before him.
Wen Jianyan steadied himself and stepped inside.
The interior of the elevator matched the deep maroon color of the exterior. Under the lighting, the texture appeared luxurious and soft. There were no buttons or markings inside, and the air was filled with soft, chime-like music, carrying a subtle, calming suggestion.
The elevator doors closed slowly behind Wen Jianyan.
The hum of the metal hinges echoed in the confined space. The floor beneath his feet trembled slightly, making it impossible to tell whether he was ascending or descending—he was simply moving continuously through boundless space.
Finally—
“Ding!”
With a soft chime, the elevator stopped.
The tightly shut doors slowly slid open, and a familiar mechanical voice sounded:
“Welcome, candidate 008, to the Secret Council.”
Candidate.
The word flashed quickly through Wen Jianyan’s mind, but his expression remained unchanged as he stepped out of the elevator.
Before him stretched a deep corridor.
The hallway was wide, with a high, vaulted ceiling, creating an overwhelming sense of pressure.
The overall color scheme was dark.
Underfoot was a deep maroon carpet, the same color as the elevator—thick and soft. The wallpaper on both sides of the walls matched, like congealed blood that had long since dried. Old-fashioned brass wall lamps flickered dimly, guiding visitors deeper into the crimson hallway.
The air was quiet, with only his breathing and heartbeat audible.
Wen Jianyan glanced down at himself.
His disguise had vanished. His heart sank.
If Wen Jianyan had been right before, the “Secret Council” should only be accessible to anchors ranked in the top ten. Given this, he was not only entering a completely unfamiliar area, but also about to meet some of the most seasoned and powerful anchors in all of Nightmare.
Thus, as a precaution, Wen Jianyan had chosen to enter using the appearance of the red-haired woman.
After all, the striking features of this persona were highly memorable, the complete opposite of his true self, which was advantageous for him.
But unfortunately…
This “Secret Council” apparently did not allow any secrets. The moment he stepped out of the elevator, his disguise automatically dissolved, and he reverted to his true appearance.
Wen Jianyan took a deep breath and continued walking down the hallway.
The maroon corridor stretched endlessly before him, seeming as if it would never end—until—
“So, you’re the new Number 008?”
A voice suddenly rang out nearby, reverberating through the empty hallway.
Wen Jianyan was startled and instinctively raised his eyes, looking toward the source of the voice.
It was a man with an utterly unremarkable face, standing at about 1.7 meters tall, with a medium build. Everything about him—his voice, his features—was so plain that after a glance, he would be easily forgotten. Even if he were lost in a crowd, it would be impossible to pick him out.
Yet Wen Jianyan did not dare lower his guard.
The hallway, though wide and spacious, had no hiding spots large enough for a grown man, and yet, as Wen Jianyan had been walking, he hadn’t realized that someone else had been nearby all along!
…This guy wasn’t simple.
The man’s gaze swept over Wen Jianyan, slowly moving from head to toe.
The young man stood in the dim maroon corridor, his already striking appearance even more pronounced against the oppressive backdrop, like a bright, jarring color in the darkness.
“You’re quite pretty.”
His eyes were cold and sticky, like a snake flicking its tongue, carrying a hint of unsettling scrutiny:
“Too bad, though. I don’t believe a pretty-face anchor could make it this far.”
“Maybe. Who knows, right?”
Wen Jianyan smiled.
He tilted his head, still wearing that harmless expression. His amber eyes were slightly curved, making his narrow eyes appear even more elongated. He didn’t seem the least bit bothered by the rude comment about his appearance.
With a cheerful grin, he said:
“After all, I am really pretty, aren’t I?”
Though he was a man, he seemed well aware of the advantages of his appearance, and knew exactly how to use this weapon, exuding a nearly dazzling charm.
“……”
The man squinted, staring at Wen Jianyan without speaking.
Suddenly, he took a step forward, approaching slowly. His utterly ordinary face showed no emotion, creating an eerie feeling…
Wen Jianyan didn’t move, watching silently as the man leaned in closer—
As the distance narrowed, Wen Jianyan caught a strange scent.
It was like…
Wax.
The man’s sticky gaze lingered over Wen Jianyan’s overly beautiful face—so striking even for a man—before he finally grinned:
“Indeed.”
Suddenly, a lazy voice sounded from behind:
“Hey, Bricklayer, what do you think you’re doing?”
Wen Jianyan turned to look behind him.
Accompanied by the sound of footsteps, a tall man gradually approached.
He had a very handsome face and stood almost 1.9 meters tall, giving off a strong sense of pressure. His expression was one of casual indifference, his gaze landing on the two people standing close to each other in the hallway.
The man called Bricklayer straightened up, smiling: “Nothing, just saying hello to the newcomer.”
“Saying hello that close?” The tall man showed a hint of annoyance on his face, “Who do you think you’re fooling?”
“…Wow,” a rare hint of surprise flashed across the Mason’s otherwise unchanging face. “I’ve never seen you care so much about a newcomer.”
Newcomer.
That word again.
Wen Jianyan’s eyes narrowed slightly, unnoticed.
It was almost as if… even though he had made it into the top eight of the leaderboard, with an impressive past record, he was still considered a mere rookie in their eyes.
The Mason raised his hands, seemingly giving up: “Alright, alright.”
“I’ll head into the meeting room first.”
The Mason’s gaze swept over Wen Jianyan and the tall man, a secretive smile tugging at his lips. “You two have fun.”
He turned and disappeared into the darkness.
As the footsteps faded, the tall man who had just come to Wen Jianyan’s aid turned his head to look at him. With a somewhat impatient tone, he said: “Be careful of that guy. He’s bad news.”
“…Thanks.”
Wen Jianyan studied the stranger’s unfamiliar face, noticing subtle shifts in his expression… The more he looked, the more familiar it felt.
“If not for you—”
Taking the chance to express his gratitude, Wen Jianyan naturally took a step forward, reaching out to touch the man’s arm, only for the other to deftly avoid him, retreating several steps as if he had an extreme aversion to physical contact.
“……”
Wen Jianyan blinked: “Orange Candy?”
“!” Orange Candy looked shocked. “How did you recognize me?”
Among the top ten on the leaderboard, the only one Wen Jianyan knew personally was Orange Candy. He couldn’t imagine anyone else who would be bored enough to help him out, warn him about danger, and, most importantly, although the person had changed their appearance, the familiarity in their attitude was impossible to hide.
Moreover, unlike Wen Jianyan, who was adept at disguising himself like a chameleon, Orange Candy’s subtle gestures, particularly around the eyes and brows, hadn’t been consciously altered, and Wen Jianyan, being an expert observer of such small details, quickly pieced things together. On top of that, Orange Candy had a notoriously severe cleanliness obsession.
It all added up.
“Secret.” Wen Jianyan smiled, his eyes narrowing playfully.
Orange Candy: “……”
“Tch, who even wants to know?”
Wen Jianyan glanced in the direction where The Mason had disappeared and asked: “So, you can use appearances in the Secret Council?”
“All full members can.”
Orange Candy rolled her eyes. “But we don’t use them often. There’s not much point.”
That made sense.
As an anchor’s level increased, the cost of bringing a disguise into a dungeon skyrocketed. If Wen Jianyan wanted to bring his disguise into future dungeons, it would cost at least twenty times what it had cost in the Changsheng Building. Even as much as he liked to splurge, he couldn’t justify spending that many points just to change his appearance.
The other top anchors likely felt the same. For them, it didn’t really matter whether they used a disguise in the streaming hall, since they would revert to their true forms as soon as they entered the dungeon anyway.
Wen Jianyan seemed to realize something:
“So, the only reason you’re wearing a disguise this time is to trick me?”
From what he knew, the top ten anchors hadn’t changed much over time, meaning their faces weren’t exactly secrets to each other. So the fact that Orange Candy had gone to the trouble of using a disguise this time likely had one goal: to get revenge for that arrow in the last dungeon, making Wen Jianyan experience what it felt like to be deceived by someone using a disguise.
Orange Candy: “……”
Although she didn’t give a direct answer, Wen Jianyan didn’t press the issue further, tactfully moving on: “Anyway, thanks for helping me out.”
The young man blinked, looking genuinely sincere: “Really, thank you.”
But this high emotional intelligence didn’t seem to please Orange Candy.
“…” She stared at the young man next to her in silence, finally speaking in a low, ominous tone: “You’ve gotten even more annoying since last time, you know that?”
