Chapter 68: Biological Son vs. Adopted Son 【Half Forum Content】

Chapter 68: Biological Child vs. Adopted Child "Partial Forum Format"

Using cleaning as an excuse, "Mom" temporarily escaped the presence that made her feel threatened and hid in the master bedroom.

The whole house's layout was created from Luo Shengle's childhood memories.

Perhaps because her recollection of her parents' room from her early years was vague, the master bedroom was furnished simply—only the basics: a wardrobe, a double bed, and two nightstands.

"Mom" went to the bed. Although she was merely a heartless monster, at this moment, she could almost feel a frantic trembling in her chest. It took her a while to calm down.

...Just what was that presence outside the door?

Could such a terrifying aura truly come from her "husband"?

After thinking for a moment, "Mom" suddenly remembered something and immediately opened the nightstand to rummage through it, eventually finding a photograph.

This was the very photo Luo Shengle had mentioned in her post before losing her memory—one that directly showed changes in the entire scenario.

Just as Luo Shengle's memories had gradually been influenced by the scenario, making the child in the photo grow features increasingly resembling her own, any change or variation in the "Dad" role would also be reflected in this picture!

"Mom" held the photo. She felt both excitement and fear, her fingers shaking slightly.

In the photo, "Mom" held a bundled baby in her arms, standing in the center alongside a silvery-white figure.

Beside the two parents stood a child, about ten years old by appearance, carrying a red backpack.

Originally, the child's facial features had almost nearly complete—once they completely matched Luo Shengle's childhood appearance, it would mark the player's full assimilation, their "death sentence" of being trapped in the scenario forever.

But today, something strange had happened—"Mom" couldn't understand what had caused her obedient daughter to suddenly snap out of it, remember her identity as a player, and become no longer so obedient and cute.

With the reversal of assimilation progress, the child in the photo naturally became a faceless, blurry shadow again.

"How could this be? Could it really be him?"

"Mom" gazed at the silvery-white figure beside her in the photo, muttering, unable to believe it.

Upon closer inspection, she suddenly noticed something wrong: in her memory, this had been a perfect family portrait, with everyone's positioning and angles perfectly following photographic aesthetics, with perfect composition.

But in the current photo, the silvery-white figure stood alone on one side, while the rest of the family stood apart from him, as if separated by an invisible barrier...

And the height of the photo's perspective—why was there an unexplained empty space above everyone's heads?

It was as if there should have been another, invisible person in the photo—someone so tall that the camera had to pull back to capture their full body.

—This photo wasn't normal. Or rather, it was completely eerie.

Lost in thought, "Mom" raised a finger and dragged her long, sharp nail across the photo, leaving deep marks.

Based on the empty space between the silvery-white figure and the rest of the family, as well as the unsettling perspective height, she traced out the silhouette of a person—

A huge, hulking silhouette, like a small hill.

It felt inexplicably familiar, as if this was the "husband" she truly knew.

"He... he's not real..."

"Who is he really? Where did he come from? What does he want?"

To even affect the scenario's core family photo—this was more than "Mom" could understand.

Ever since she came into being, she had been absolutely certain that the family portrait reflected absolute truth...

Never before had she considered the possibility that even this foundational rule could be unreliable, that her own memories could be tampered with. If so, what could she still trust?

Countless questions filled "Mom's" mind, making her sweat nervously without realizing it.

Her fists clenched, she whispered, "Father of Cursed Nightmares, protect me... He can't find out..."

One thing was certain: no matter who the other party truly was, he was far too powerful for her to oppose.

So for self-preservation, the only thing she could do now was continue pretending she knew nothing—she absolutely couldn't let the silvery-white figure realize she had discovered his true identity.

Just then, a voice spoke up behind "Mom," making her freeze in place:

"Mustn't let me find out... what?"

He asked, amused.

"Mom" hadn't heard His footsteps at all—He had appeared silently, and there was no way to know how long He had been watching.

In an instant, cold sweat trickled down "Mom's" forehead.

Her instincts screamed at her: long before the player's assimilation, her own death was near.

......

Meanwhile, in the other bedroom, Xiao Luo had just finished her homework and glanced at the clock on her desk.

It was 8:30 p.m.

By routine, it was time to carry "Little Sister" back to her bedroom.

In the past, she would have to endure the round, smooth texture of the fleshy ball on her back, along with "Little Sister's" shrill, inexplicable cries, before tucking it into the small box under the bed.

And at night, "Little Sister" would scratch restlessly at the bed frame—despite Xiao Luo knowing full well it had neither hands nor feet, it would still produce a noise like nails scraping wood in the dead of night.

The sound would be right beside her ear, yet she couldn't open her eyes or even move, forced to pretend to be fast asleep.

—But ever since Mr. Narrator's incarnation arrived, all these troubles seemed to have vanished.

Even now, Xiao Luo hadn't seen "Mom" wandering around the house, and "Little Sister" remained completely silent.

The house was so unnervingly peaceful that Xiao Luo even deliberately circled the dining table a few times, calling into the shadows beneath it:

"'Little Sister,' you still there?"

"It's almost bedtime. Want me to carry you back?"

"Really not here? Why so quiet?"

"..."

Under the tablecloth, only deathly silence remained.

Xiao Luo looked around, unsure where "Little Sister" had rolled off to hide.

Assuming it no longer had the courage to cause trouble, Xiao Luo happily embraced this rare moment of freedom and returned to her room to browse the forums.

No. 707:

Dang, I'm so curious about how things are going on OP's side!

№708:

I'll hold my breath until OP replies to us!

№709:

Seriously LOL, this is the first time I've been so interested in another player's game progress...

№710:

I mean, OP's situation has too many elements: amnesia, being Chosen, conspiracy, ritual summoning—this could easily fill ten chapters in a novel.

№711:

Judging by the follow-up excitement of this thread, it could rival that god-tier post in the newbie help section...

№712:

Which one next door? (Confused)

№713:

Same question +1, don't frequent the newbie section much, can some kind soul point the way?

№714:

It's this post: #Newbie Help: Came to the deep mountains with classmates for research, how to survive facing Divine Pollution?#

№715:

Weird coincidence, that post is also suspected to be related to that Lord Fate...

They've been making waves lately.

№716:

Wonder if another High Being is about to be unlucky on OP's side (lol)

№717 (OP):

Thank you all for your help, I'm back!

I've successfully gathered the ritual materials and completed the ritual—I'm probably safer than ever now!

№718:

Succeeded in completing the communication ritual on the first try?

Then OP must either be deeply favored by the gods or have a natural talent for rituals.

№719 (OP):

Uhh no.

№720 (OP):

Actually, I completed two rituals: one communication ritual to strengthen the connection, and another summoning ritual to welcome the incarnation of my Lord...

№721:

Huh? HUH??

Girl, WHAT did you just say you completed?

№722:

OP, I might actually cry, I'm really going to cry—

I've devoted over a decade to studying various rituals, only to be defeated by this kind of divine-favor/talent (sobbing)

№723:

...Seriously, with that Lord's simple appearance, decades of ritual studies went down the drain, our dao hearts (spiritual foundations) shattered.

№724:

Total waste +10086 [Chinese internet slang for "me too"], that's it, I'm off to find my red nose [clown reference] (clown face)

№725:

With a divine incarnation directly involved, looks like another dungeon is about to be completely wrecked and vanish from public view.

№726 Gulu Gua:

So OP probably won't face any more danger, right? That's a good thing at least.

№727:

Makes me kinda emotional—the cautious little OP who used to ask us all sorts of questions has suddenly grown into a Chosen. We probably won't get to see OP bubbling with questions anymore.

№728:

Remember us when you rise to greatness, OP! (*gou fugui, wu xiangwang*)

№729 (OP):

No, I still have many questions I need everyone's guidance on!

№730 (OP):

For example, like, say—

If, for some reason, a High Being nearly divine appears as my "father" in the dungeon, and Ta casually says I can treat Them normally...

№731 (OP):

Then how should I address Them to appear both respectful yet not overly formal?

№732:

HOLD UP! You're saying the incarnation of "Fate" is now your supposed father?!

№733:

I've said this once already, but worth repeating: Remember us when you rise to greatness, OP! (*gou fugui, wu xiangwang*)

№734 (OP):

Wait? Why are you all guessing that I'm talking about the Narrator!

№735:

"Narrator"—so He prefers His followers to address Him like that? That’s surprisingly down-to-earth...

№736:

OP, isn’t it obvious? You just mentioned an avatar appearing, and now you ask this question (lmao)

№737:

Also, OP deliberately censored "ta"—normally, pronouns like he/she/it can be written directly, right? Censoring it is basically admitting it...

№738:

This is wild. OP not only succeeded in summoning but also got a temporary god-dad (heavy sarcasm)

№739:

I really want the OP from that other thread to bring Classmate E over to meet OP hahaha

№740:

Wow, this is a biological vs. adopted child face-off...

№741:

Classmate E, come look—say goodbye to being an only child with your dad!

№742 (OP):

(T_T) So no one is answering my question? What should I actually call Him?

If I really call Him "father," I’d freak out!

№743 (OP):

And it seems like He must have an actual, flesh-and-blood Divine Son? The Divine Son’s gotta be OP—what if He comes for me...

№744:

Hahaha, my heart goes out to OP. Putting myself in that position, it’s stressful—like tiptoeing through a minefield.

№745 (OP):

Seriously, there’s an old saying from my homeland: "Walking with the king is like walking with a tiger" (cries)

№746:

Okay, breaking it down. He personally told you to act normally, so "'Lord' is way too stiff," like you’re ignoring His wishes—that’s not appropriate.

But if you actually call Him "dad," regardless of how He feels, the Divine Son probably wouldn’t be happy about suddenly having a sibling—asking for drama.

№747:

Since He’s currently taking on the "father" role, He’s leaning male? So just go with "sir"—safe bet.

№748 (OP):

Got it, thanks!~