5 stars for Kaleidoscope of Death (Break the Cocoon book 2) by Xi Zi Xu |《死亡万花筒》破茧【下】西子绪著.
This is going to be a long review. No, scratch that. This is a long review. It is not often that I am willing to spend more time writing the book review than reading the book. I finished reading this book in four days' time but I used seven days and then some to organize my thoughts and feelings in this post. Besides the main write-up, listing down the finer details in both the book and the drama takes up a lot of time and energy. But I do that most willingly as I am a die-hard fan of the drama "The Spirealm" |《致命游戏》as well as the book "Kaleidoscope of Death" |《死亡万花筒》.
The Kaleidoscope of Death series is an extraordinary story. It check all the boxes I look for in a mystery-horror novel. It captivates me with eerie atmospheres and chilling narratives, yet it is not spooky all the time. There is a good balance of the fear and entertaining factor what with light-hearted scenes being woven into the scary ones. It is also thought-provoking and emotionally rending as the basis of the story goes against the very fabric of our being - our usual association of time and space no longer applies.
It is difficult not to fall in love with the two lead characters, Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu, that the author has created, especially when they are capable, highly intelligent, and not to mention, tall, strong and strikingly beautiful. The author does a brilliant job blowing life into these two characters such that they leap out of the pages to entice me in joining them in their exciting adventures both inside the Doors and outside. It is a great pleasure to join these two amazing characters in their world, be it the real world or the virtual one behind the Door. Their presence leave such a deep imprint in my reading journey that I doubt I will ever forget them.
Behind every good story, there is almost always a story twist - unexpected, mind-blowing and one that is slowly revealed in good time. When the twist rears its head, it leaves the reader breathless and staring into space. Seriously, when the twist in the story is so overwhelming, readers need time to recover from it. A long time. That is what "Kaleidoscope of Death" |《死亡万花筒》does to me.
When I watch the drama "The Spirealm" |《致命游戏》, I revel in the unexpected twist, but I also take time to get over it. I thought that since I have already watched the drama, I should be well prepared for the original story in the book. How wrong am I... When I reach the end of the story and read the first portion of the "Extra" |《番外》that comes right after, I realize nothing can prepare me for the twist in the story. I find myself in a daze. I read and re-read the ending and "Extra", again and again. I cannot help but keep thinking about the story and what it signifies. Even as I write this review, I am still reeling from the revelation.
After reading all the books in this series, some of the scenes in the drama that originally do not make sense to me now do. But soon enough, I realize the same issue is still there, it has simply shifted from the drama to the story in the books. When I read the books, there will always be some scenes or conversations that do not connect. I am glad that I have managed to figure it out by reading the online novel. This story originates as an online novel after all. And the online version is the original, unedited version (online novels have more leeway in certain aspects). I find it quite sad and a pity that the books I spent my hard-earned money on are not the uncut version. Sadly, that is pretty much the way it is - online Chinese novels have to be edited to meet certain criteria before they can be sent for publication.
This book 4 continues from where Door 12《发鬼》left off in book 3. Both Door 12《发鬼》and Door 14《无解》in this book are shown in the drama, but for obvious reason, the drama production team changes the name for both Doors. To be honest, I did not expect the drama to follow the original story in the book very closely. But amazingly, it did! For the last Door 14, even though I have already watched the drama and have an inkling of what is going to happen, I still get goosebumps when I read the book and watch the scenes unfold in my mind's eye. That goes to show how well written the story is.
I guess every reader has his or her little reading quirks. Needless to say, I have my own too. And one of them is that I will always look out for the book title inside the story itself. I have never failed in my endeavor so far, which is why after reading book 1, 2 and 3, I start to worry. Where is "Kaleidoscope" |《万花筒》? When is it ever going to be mentioned in the book? Or have I missed it? Well, just when I thought it is a hopeless cause, the word "Kaleidoscope" |《万花筒》appear. Finally. I find what I want and I'm happy.
As far back as I can remember, I have always preferred to read the book first before I catch the movie or chase the drama. My reason has always been simple - I enjoy having the story played out in my mind's eye. Mostly, I do not want my imagination to be in any way affected by the actions and faces of the actors in the movie or drama. But now, I start to think differently. Perhaps it is not that bad after all. In this case, I watch the drama "The Spirealm" |《致命游戏》first, way before I even know that it originates from an online novel that was subsequently published into a series of four books. Now that I have the books, when I read them, the drama scenes automatically flash before my eyes. Also, the characters in the book now come equipped with the faces of the actors in the drama, and it is especially prominent for the two main leads. Surprisingly, I find myself liking and enjoying this drama-first-book-second association. Another bonus for watching the drama first is that the OST will somehow find the appropriate time to float to the forefront of my mind when I read. It is a joy to read a book and feel at the same time that I am watching my little personal drama - up in my head where no one else can see! - with OST accompaniment.
There is always this dilemma when I am hooked to a fascinating story. I want to finish the book but I don't want to finish the book. As I read, I will remind myself intermittently to go slow to prolong my reading experience. Because once a book is read, there is no turning back. I can never un-read the story. But this is always easier said than done. Most times, I end up staying up late to keep the pages turning. That is the reason why I took seven days to finish the first book, six days to finish the second, five days to complete my third and only a mere four days to wrap my last book. I want to finish the book but I don't want to finish the book. The former wins! With that, I uncover the ending faster than intended.
As to the story ending, I like the ending in both the drama and the book, BUT, I will say, I like the ending in the book more. I will touch on this again later on with detailed explanations (with spoiler alert).
Again, for my own reference, I am putting down the name of the Doors here as listed in the book (the former) as opposed to what the drama has it termed (the latter). After matching, I find that the Doors in the drama are largely given the same names as that in the book. There are subtle differences but mostly negligible. But still, I want to stress that though name of the Door could be the same, the Door content and its sequence as shown in the drama do not always follow that of the book. Careful observers will notice that there is no drama Door 4. That is because it is not shown.
Also, as what the author has pointed out, I want to highlight that the Door number is based on the number of Doors entered by the main character Lin Qiushi, not the level he entered. As this is the last book in the series, I shall list down all the Doors. A note to self - this book 4 is the story of Door 12, 13 and 14.
Book vs Drama
Door 1《独自莫凭拦》vs Door 1《雪村》
Door 2《菲尔夏鸟》vs Door 2《菲尔夏鸟》
Door 3《阿姐鼓》vs Door 3《阿姐鼓》
Door 4《雨中女郎》vs Door 7《雨中女郎》
Door 5《佐子》vs Door 5《佐子》
Door 6《乌鸦稻草人》vs Door NA
Door 7《威福利山疗养院》vs Door 6《威福利山疗养院》
Door 8《铜镜》vs Door NA
Door 9《哭儿郎》vs Door 8《夜哭郎》
Door 10《晴天娃娃》vs Door 9《扫晴娘》
Door 11《雕像》vs Door NA
Door 12《发鬼》vs Door 10《箱妖》
Door 13《米诺陶诺斯》vs Door NA
Door 14《无解》vs Door 11《百鬼夜行》
Next up, I am listing down the characters - both the real name and pseudonym - who enter the Door with Lin Qiushi. Also included are the characters of significance whom he meets inside the Door in this book series. Along with this list are clues for the Door (if any), the conditions that trigger death, location of keys and location of Doors. Again, the Door number is the number of Doors Lin Qiushi enters into, not the level. As a reference, he enters a total of 14 Doors. For practical reason, this portion will all be detailed in Chinese.
*** Spoiler Alert ***
If you have yet to read the online novel or books, or watch the drama, you might want to stop scrolling downwards.
The twelve Doors "Kaleidoscope of Death" |《死亡万花筒》are as follows:
第一扇门：雪村
线索：一人不入庙，二人不观井，三人不抱树，独自莫凭栏
入门人真名：林秋石，阮南烛
入门人化名：林秋石，阮白洁
钥匙所在：棺材内
门所在：井里
有趣点：男主林秋石和阮南烛相遇。林秋石还没起化名。
第二扇门：菲尔夏鸟
线索：菲尔夏鸟
入门人真名：林秋石，阮南烛，谭枣枣
入门人化名：余林林，祝萌，许晓橙
死亡条件：沾血、说不出三胞胎名字
钥匙所在：三胞胎母亲的身体里
门所在：在楼顶裹尸袋下
有趣点：林秋石的第二扇门
第三扇门：阿姐鼓
线索：阿姐鼓
入门人真名：林秋石，阮南烛，程千里，黎东源
入门人化名：余林林，祝萌，牧屿，蒙钰
钥匙所在：塔里拿的鼓敲破后得到
门所在：姐姐划破鼓面 就出现门
有趣点：蹭程千里的第五扇门，所以林秋石直接从第二扇门跳到了第五扇们的难度。
第四扇门：雨中女郎
线索：雨中女郎
特殊线索：你站在桥上看风景，看风景的人在楼上看你。明月装饰了你的窗子，你装饰了别人的梦。
入门人真名：林秋石，阮南烛，谭枣枣
入门人化名：余林林，祝萌，许晓橙
死亡条件：进入逆转的世界、被画框框在里面、对雨中女郎画动手
钥匙所在：烧掉晚宴图得到（女主人画室内）
门所在：二楼右边的楼梯
有趣点：阮南烛接活儿的门，蹭谭枣枣的第三扇门。
因为门比五级低，不计入林秋石的门的计数。
第五扇门：佐子
线索：佐子
入门人真名：林秋石，阮南烛，黎东源，庄如皎
入门人化名：余林林，祝萌，蒙钰，夏如蓓
死亡条件：念出：“我的腿没有了，你的给我好吗？”
钥匙所在：帮助佐子杀死最后两名高二三班同学，班级全员合影照自燃后掉落
门所在：旧校舍高二三班门
有趣点：阮南烛和白鹿首领黎东源合作，蹭白鹿成员庄如皎的第四扇门。
因为门比五级低，不计入林秋石的门的计数。
第六扇门：乌鸦稻草人 (网络小说为 瘦长鬼影)
线索：乌鸦稻草人 (网络小说为 瘦长鬼影)
入门人真名：林秋石，阮南烛
入门人化名：余秋秋，陆盟
死亡条件：迷失在制造的幻觉中、戴上黑色的礼帽
钥匙所在：戴帽子的乌鸦稻草人身体里 (网络小说里 戴帽子的瘦长鬼影身体里）
门所在：广场告示牌下面
有趣点：林秋石自己的门，也就是他的第六扇门。
第七扇门：威福利山疗养院
线索：威福利山疗养院
入门人真名：林秋石，阮南烛，网站上的人
入门人化名：林秋秋，阮白洁，封永乐
死亡条件：502 门牌号
钥匙所在：护士与医生的合照后面
门所在：楼梯后面的隧道
有趣点：阮南烛再次进第六扇门 (之前已拿到了第七扇门的线索，但觉得线索不适进人)
这也是阮南烛接网上活儿的门，林秋石第一次和网站上的人一起进门。
林秋石再次进第六扇门，所以不计入林秋石的门的计数。
第八扇门：铜镜
线索：以铜为镜，可以正衣冠；以史为镜，可以知兴替；以人为镜，可以明得失。
入门人真名：林秋石，阮南烛，程一谢，卓飞泉，卓鸣玉
入门人化名：余林林，祝萌，一谢，罗千山，罗千水
死亡条件：打破镜子
钥匙所在：烧焦的房子里 三口全家福下面
门所在：安全通道
有趣点：蹭程一榭的第九扇门，所以林秋石直接从第六扇门跳到了第九扇们的难度。
第九扇门：哭儿郎
线索：天惶惶，地惶惶，我家有个哭儿郎，过往的恩客念三遍，一觉睡到大天光。
入门人真名：林秋石，叶鸟
入门人化名：余林林，顾龙鸣
死亡条件：房间里没有了人油灯、醒着时被女主人看到
钥匙所在：女主人身体里
门所在：女主人卧室柜子里
有趣点：林秋石接网上活儿的门，蹭顾龙鸣的第四扇门。
林秋石在没有阮南烛的陪伴下第一次独自带顾客进门。
因为门比九级低，不计入林秋石的门的计数。
第十扇门：晴天娃娃
线索：无
入门人真名：林秋石，阮南烛
入门人化名：余林林，祝萌
死亡条件：被雨淋
钥匙所在：神寺里的僧人被安下头后 其法杖化为钥匙
门所在：僧人雕像的地方
有趣点：林秋石的好友和他好友的女朋友被人害死了。
为了报仇 林秋石和阮南烛假扮新人，蹭崔学义的第三扇门。
因为门比九级低，不计入林秋石的门的计数。
第十一扇门：雕像
线索：以牙还牙 以眼还眼
入门人真名：林秋石，叶鸟
入门人化名：余林林，顾龙鸣
死亡条件：木头人被毁坏或其他
钥匙所在：女雕像
门所在：图书馆的某个偏僻角落里
有趣点：林秋石接网上活儿的门，蹭顾龙鸣的第五扇门。
林秋石在没有阮南烛的陪伴下第二次带顾客进门。
因为门比九级低，不计入林秋石的门的计数。
第十二扇门：发鬼 (网络小说为 箱女）
线索：发鬼 (网络小说为 箱女)
入门人真名：林秋石，阮南烛，梁米叶
入门人化名：余林林，祝萌，梁米叶
死亡条件：开盒 开出发鬼或伥鬼 (网络小说里 开箱 开出箱人或箱女）
钥匙所在：落地钟柜门开出 （网络小说里 保险箱开出）
门所在：厨房里的盒子 (网络小说里 厨房里的箱子）
有趣点：阮南烛再次进第十扇门 (之前已拿到了第十一扇门的线索，但觉得线索不对劲)
林秋石的第十扇门，也是白熊成员梁米叶的第十扇门。
第十三扇门：米诺陶诺斯
线索：米诺陶诺斯
入门人真名：林秋石，阮南烛，叶鸟
入门人化名：余林林，祝萌，顾龙鸣
死亡条件：沾上鱼腥味
钥匙所在：杀死鱼人得到
门所在：厨房里
有趣点：接网上活儿的门, 蹭顾龙鸣的第六扇门。
阮南烛要在门内见叶鸟以确定叶鸟过门的资质，才决定是否让叶鸟加入阮南烛的组织黑曜石。
因为门比九级低，不计入林秋石的门的计数。
第十四扇门：无解
线索：无解
特殊线索：生死
入门人真名：林秋石，阮南烛
钥匙所在：时钟
门所在：第十二扇门，选择题：虚幻之生 真实之死
有趣点：本文的最后一扇门，也是林秋石和阮南烛的第十一扇门。
在真实世界里 实际是林秋石的第十二扇门 - 第十二扇门是门中门。
From here onwards, I will mention details in the story as well as in the drama. If you have yet to read the online novel or the books, or watch the drama, you might want to skip the entire section below. For me, I am putting down these details (and revelations) more for my own reference - now and future. To understand "Kaleidoscope of Death" |《死亡万花筒》fully, one has to read all four books from the beginning to the end as well as the "Extra" |《番外》that the author provides right after the main story has ended.
*** Spoiler Alert ***
The Book: Ending of "Kaleidoscope of Death" |《死亡万花筒》
Ruan Nanzhu is the Door keeper of the twelfth Door. He came out of the Door to be with Lin Qiushi. As a result, the twelfth Door is permanently closed to all the people who enter Doors.
The entire novel is about Lin Qiushi's twelfth Door. Though the story begins with the world inside Door 1 "Snow Village" |《雪村》, it is actually not Lin Qiushi's first Door but his twelfth. And Ruan Nanzhu is Lin Qiushi's twelfth Door. All the Doors that Lin Qiushi enters as well as all the people he meets are carried out in this twelfth Door. It is based on Lin Qiushi's real world and has been partially modified by the twelfth Door keeper, Ruan Nanzhu.
Ruan Nanzhu's existence is an extra memory of everyone's. Before he comes out of the twelfth Door, there is no Ruan Nanzhu in the world, meaning, no Ruan Nanzhu in the real world that Lin Qiushi is in. In the twelfth Door, Ruan Nanzhu gives Lin Qiushi the option to choose - there are two keys (instead of one) to exit this Door - the key to illusory life or the key to real death. No matter what kind of world Lin Qiushi wants, Ruan Nanzhu can give it to him, so the choice is in Lin Qiushi's hands.
Before entering his twelfth Door, Lin Qiushi enters and experiences all the Doors alone by himself in the real world. After various trials, he joins a group that specializes in Door entering, called "Obsidian" |《黑曜石》. Then he enters the twelfth Door. Unexpectedly, the twelfth Door is Ruan Nanzhu. In the end, the two of them are together, and there is no longer a twelfth Door. It is closed to all the people.
The Book: Summary of "Kaleidoscope of Death" |《死亡万花筒》
The book is about dying people or people who are going to die having the opportunity to enter a different time and space where there are twelve iron Doors. Every time you open a Door, you will be greeted with a supernatural story. The world inside the Door is full of death and traps. It is said that if you pass through all the twelve Doors, you will be granted a new life. But if you die inside the Door, you will also die when you exit the Door and return to the reality of the world.
At first, Lin Qiushi's pet cat refuses to go near him, let alone be hugged. Gradually, Lin Qiushi finds that everything around him begins to be filled with disharmony.
Later one day, when he opens the Door of his home, he finds that the familiar corridor has turned into a long corridor where there are twelve exact looking iron Doors. The story begins here.
The Book: The Three Worlds in "Kaleidoscope of Death" |《死亡万花筒》
There are three planes of existence in the book.
The first is the world outside the Door. This is the real world where Lin Qiushi lives in, and where he is the boss of the organisation "Obsidian" |《黑曜石》.
The second is the world inside the Door. This is the world where people who are dying or going to die enter to have a chance to be granted a new life. If you die inside the Door, you will also die when you exit the Door and return to the real world. If you survive all the twelve Doors, you will be granted a new lease of life.
The third is the world inside the Door that resides within the twelfth Door. This is the world that the twelfth Door keeper, Ruan Nanzhu, specially creates for Lin Qiushi, a world where Lin Qiushi enters all the Doors as if for the first time (his memory has been erased), together with Ruan Nanzhu. This world is a replica of the real world that Lin Qiushi lives in, which is why he thought he is just passing through the eleventh Door, and the choice of life and death is the twelfth Door. Most importantly, he thought Ruan Nanzhu is a person in the real world. This is perhaps best summarised in Chinese below.
这是个三层世界的故事。
第一是门外的世界，这就是林秋石活在的真实世界。
第二是门内的世界，这就是垂死的人进入门后的门内世界。只要成功的通过了十二扇门，就能获得新生。但只要是死在了门内，一旦回到了真实世界，也即将面临死亡。
第三是门中门的世界，这就是林秋石的第十二扇门的门内世界，也是阮南烛特地为他独创的虚幻世界，一个复制了林秋石真实世界的门内世界。记忆被抹去的林秋石 以为自己是在阮南烛的陪伴下全新的第一次过门，并且进的是第十一扇门，而第十二扇门则是生与死的选择。最重要的是，他以为阮南烛是真实世界中的人。
The Book: All about "Kaleidoscope of Death" |《死亡万花筒》
(1) The entire novel from the beginning in Door 1 "Snow Village" |《雪村》right up to when Lin Qiushi comes out of Door 11, is the story of Lin Qiushi's twelfth Door. He finds two keys in the clock - one key for illusory life and one key for real death. Illusory life means staying inside the Door forever and living inside the Door with friends who are already dead in the real world (a second chance to live with friends who have passed on); real death means returning to the real world, but without his significant other, Ruan Nanzhu.
(2) At that time, Lin Qiushi thought that Ruan Nanzhu is a person from the real world. He thought he is simply passing through the eleventh Door, and the choice of life and death is the twelfth Door, so he decisively chooses real death and went out of the twelfth Door; his instinct telling him that Ruan Nanzhu will do the same. In truth, Ruan Nanzhu is a non-existent person in the real world which is why none of the members in the organization called "Obsidian" |《黑曜石》knows him. After Lin Qiushi exits from the twelve Door, he is the only person who has memories of Ruan Nanzhu. He finds it unbelievable that no one knows or remembers Ruan Nanzhu.
(3) A year later (actually, it is only a few days inside the Door), Ruan Nanzhu comes out of the twelfth Door. His exit as a Door keeper has an impact on the real world - something changes. The Obsidian members who do not remember him now do. The only difference is that they remember him as a mere presence, someone they know but no deep relationship with. And that explains why Bai Ming, who is supposedly Ruan Nanzhu's best friend, seems to be closer to Lin Qiushi instead.
(4) Ruan Nanzhu is the Door keeper of the twelfth Door. In the book, the role played by Ruan Nanzhu - boss of organization "Obsidian" |《黑曜石》- is actually that of the Lin Qiushi's in the real world. Lin Qiushi enters the Door because of lung cancer caused by heavy smoking.
(5) As an excellent Door-enterer, Lin Qiushi attracts the attention of the ultimate twelfth Door keeper, Ruan Nanzhu, who decides to construct an illusory world by tampering with Lin Qiushi's memory and letting him take Lin Qiushi through all the Doors again. This is the heart calamity of Lin Qiushi's twelfth Door. Everyone's twelfth Door is different - which is why the clue to the eleventh Door is "no solution" - and not everyone is as "favored" by the Door keeper as Lin Qiushi.
(6) Because Ruan Nanzhu has erased all traces of his own memories as the twelfth Door keeper, he forgets that he is actually a Door keeper. He goes through all the Doors with Lin Qiushi and experiences everything with him. Lin Qiushi, whose memory has been erased by Ruan Nanzhu in the twelfth Door becomes a new person. That is why his pet cat, Li Zi will not let him hug him. The entire novel starts from here. Before Door 11 "The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons" |《百鬼夜行》, Ruan Nanzhu does not know that he is a Door keeper. It is until the ghost, Zuo Zi takes him to the apartment where Lin Qiushi used to live and Ruan Nanzhu watches the scenes played out on the TV that he realizes he is not a human.
The Drama: Summary of "The Spirealm" |《致命游戏》
The drama is about a virtual reality game with twelve Doors (imagine a game with twelve levels). Players enter the Doors to find themselves in strange encounters. Once the player starts playing the game, that is, enters the first door, there is no turning back, he or she will have to continue with entering the Doors (imagine passing the game level) until the last one, the twelfth Door.
Each Door is filled with traps and mysterious creatures, some scary, some terrifying, but mostly deadly. To exit each Door, the players have to search for a key and a Door. Using the key to open the Door, they can then leave the Door of that level they have entered into until the next Door beckons.
Somehow, the game got hacked and the players after entering the Door, find themselves faced with progressively more violence, gore and death. To purify the game, the game founder creates an AI to do patching. This AI has to enter the Doors like any other player as patching can only be performed inside the last Door, the twelfth Door. Hence, the creation of Ruan Lanzhu. He is the AI, the NPC.
The Drama: The Three Worlds in "The Spirealm" |《致命游戏》
In the drama, there are also three planes of existence.
The first is the real world outside the Spirit Realm. This is the world where Ling Jiushi lives in. But this is where the similarity ends. In the drama, this real world is also the world where Ling Jiushi's University good friend, Gao Dawei, creates the game "Spirit Realm" | 灵境, a virtual game with twelve Doors. In the book, Gao Dawei does not exist. There is no such character.
The second is the virtual world inside the Spirit Realm. This is the "Spirit Realm" virtual world | 灵境 created by the aforementioned Gao Dawei. Within this "Spirit Realm" virtual world, Gao Dawei creates twelve Doors (to be further explained in the third plane of existence). All the people who play the game will enter into this world, and all of them think that this is the real world when in fact, this is the virtual reality world of the Spirit Realm. To put it simply, this world is the game hall of the Spirit Realm. All the people who play the game, the moment they start playing, never leave the game hall. These players can only get out of this "Spirit Realm" virtual world and go back into the real world when they have completed the twelfth Door (imagine passing game level 12) residing within this virtual world. All the players think this is the real world because this game hall is an exact replica of the real world where they come from.
The third is the virtual world inside the Door that resides within the Spirit Realm. There are basically twelve Doors inside the "Spirit Realm" virtual world. Behind each Door lies a different scene and challenge. Due to the hack, there are now different variations of the same Door level, each one a life-and-death test with increasing violence and gore. Each time a player succeeds in playing the game, that is passing the Door, they will exit from the world inside the Door and go back into the "Spirit Realm" virtual world. When a player dies inside the game, meaning inside the Door, that player will also die when he or she exit this Door and return to the "Spirit Realm" virtual world. Death in the world inside the Door have an effect on the virtual world inside the Spirit Realm because they both belong to the Spirit Realm game. They co-exist and complement each other. Again, this is perhaps best summarised in Chinese below.
剧中也是个三层世界的故事。
第一是门外的世界，这就是凌久时活在的真实世界。这也是凌久时昔日的大学同窗 高大威所在的同一个真实世界。灵境游戏的缔造者正是高大威。书中并没有高大威这个人物，他根本不存在。
第二是灵境的世界，这就是高大威创造出来的虚幻世界，是个灵境游戏，游戏里有十二扇门。所有灵境游戏的玩家都会进入这个世界。他们全都认为这是真实世界，而实际上，这是灵界的虚拟世界。简单来说，这个世界就是灵界的游戏大厅。所有玩家，从他们进入第一扇门的开始，就离不开这个游戏大厅。只有成功的过了最后一扇门 也就是第十二扇门后 这些玩才能从这个灵境世界回到真实世界。所有玩家都以为灵境是真实世界 因为这个游戏大厅跟他们所认识的真实世界是一模一样的。
第三是门中门的世界，这就是处在灵境世界里的门内世界。“灵境”虚拟世界内基本上有十二扇门。每一扇门里都有不同的场景和挑战。由于黑客攻击，同一扇门的级别出现了不同的版本。每个版本除了是生死攸关的考验，也是充满了逐渐增加的暴力和血腥。每当玩家成功的过了门，他们就会从门内世界退出，回到“灵境”虚拟世界。但只要玩家死在门内，回到“灵界”虚拟世界后的玩家 也会面临死亡。在门内死了，在门外也一样会死，因为门内世界和虚拟世界都处于灵境，是属于灵界游戏的。
The Drama: All about "The Spirealm" |《致命游戏》
(1) Ruan Lanzhu is an NPC. He knows he is an AI all along right from the start in the drama. Since he is an NPC, why does Ruan Lanzhu appear in the real world? Truth is, Ruan Lanzhu has never appeared in the real world. He has always existed in the virtual reality world inside the Spirit Realm. He is not an NPC in the world inside the Door, but an NPC in the Spirit Realm. Imagine the NPC big boss of the "Spirit Realm" virtual world. He is it! That is the reason why after Ling Jiushi comes out from the Spirit realm virtual world and returns to the real world, he finds strangers living in the headquarters of organization "Obsidian" |《黑曜石》, because there is no Ruan Lanzhu in the real world.
(2) Ruan Lanzhu is a hidden NPC, created by Gao Dawei for Ling Jiushi. He is also a patch. After the operation rights of "Spirit Realm" | 灵境 are seized by capital, creator Gao Dawei wanted to purify the game. However, he has no way to change the game by editing, so he changes it by adding instead. He creates and uploads an NPC with a hidden task according to Ling Jiushi's preferences. This NPC pretends to be a player and creates the organization "Obsidian" |《黑曜石》before Ling Jiushi enters the game. As an NPC, he has no emotions and he waits patiently alone inside the Door for Ling Jiushi to start his destiny - purifying the game. He is set as a high level expert who has passed the tenth Door. His information cannot be found in the virtual reality world.
(3) In the first episode of the drama, Ling Jiushi receives the game delivered by express delivery and goes to an Internet cafe. After coming out of the Internet cafe, he sees a Door on the road. This Door is very similar to the eleventh Door in the "Spirit Realm" | 灵境 game. Then Ling Jiushi is hit by a car. Right after, several scenes flashed by quickly - the Door and also the circular stone steps waiting to enter the Door. Right after, the picture darkens, and Ling Jiushi returns to his apartment. This does not seem logical. How can he go back to his home without any problem after being badly hit by a car? This seems to indicate that Ling Jiushi enters the game on the road and he arrives at the "Spirit Realm" virtual world from that moment onwards.
(4) In episode 72 when Ruan Lanzhu explains the truth to Ling Jiushi, the scene shifts to show Door 1 "Snow Village" |《雪村》with Ruan Lanzhu standing on the mountain and looking down. A blue-clothed Ling Jiushi is seen running and trying to avoid a wolf's attack, and then, another red-clothed Ling Jiushi walks up. The two Ling Jiushi eventually merged into one person which suggests that the red one represents Ling Jiushi's person and consciousness entering from the real world, while the blue one is simply an NPC. That is why after Ruan Lanzhu's hint helps saved Ling Jiushi from the wolf, Ruan Lanzhu says "It is still better to command a living person", because he has commanded NPC Ling Jiushi many times already.
(5) In episode 72, in the University dormitory world inside the Door, Ruan Lanzhu picks up Ling Jiushi's profile data but does not flip to look inside. With Ruan Lanzhu's careful character, it is unlike him not to scrutinize Ling Jiushi's personal data. This indicates that he has seen it countless times and has waited for an unknown amount of time for Ling Jiushi to appear. Every time Ruan Lanzhu arrives at a Door, he will wait there because that will be the birth point of Ling Jiushi's game. Finally one day, Ling Jiushi appears and Ruan Lanzhu follows him into the Door. In their first encounter in the "Snow Village" |《雪村》, after Ruan Lanzhu saves Ling Jiu from the wolf, he said to him "I hope the person I have saved is worth saving." This sentence actually signifies his attitude towards the purifying fate: "I hope the person I have waited for so long is worth waiting for, and I hope that the person I meet in the end is worth it."
Book vs Drama: "Kaleidoscope of Death" |《死亡万花筒》vs "The Spirealm" |《致命游戏》
Now that I have finished with putting down details and revelations of the book "Kaleidoscope of Death" |《死亡万花筒》and the drama "The Spirealm" |《致命游戏》, I want to highlight the main difference between the two. It all stems from the three planes of existence.
In the book, right from the beginning of the story, the author cleverly hides the third plane of existence, that is, the world of the Door inside the twelfth Door. The reader, any reader in fact, will assume and rightly so, that there are only two planes of existence - the real world outside the Door and the illusory world inside the Door. And the best part is, the author continues to conceal the truth right up to the last chapter where it is only implied, that perhaps something is not right with Lin Qiushi's memory. It is so well disguised that, as a reader, I also echo the same sentiments as Lin Qiushi and thought that Ruan Nanzhu is a real person from the real world, and somehow for reasons unknown, the people in the real world have forgotten about Ruan Nanzhu's existence.
The truth - the third plance of existence - is only revealed after the end of the main story under the "Extra" |《番外》. To say that the truth is mind-provoking is an understatement. Because the story, the world-building of the Doors, the characters and everything else that we have come to know so very well from the beginning to the end, are not what they are. My world as the reader of Doors crumbles along with the disclosure that the entire novel is about Lin Qiushi's twelfth Door. The revelation leaves me totally flabbergasted.
In contrast...
In the drama, right from the beginning in episode 1 "Snow Village" |《雪村》, the drama scriptwriters team smartly hides the the second plane of existence, that is, the virtual world inside the Spirit Realm. The viewer, any viewer in fact, will assume and rightly so, that there are only two planes of existence - the real world outside the Door and the virtual world inside the Door. The drama scriptwriters team takes their cue from the author - in a similar but yet different way - and continues to conceal the truth right up to episode 72 (out of 78) where an agitated Ling Qiushi confronts Ruan Lanzhu about his suspicions, and the latter then explains the truth.
Throughout the drama, viewers have been slowly led to believe that Ling Qiushi will be the one to perform the purification process for the game and Ruan Lanzhu is there to assist him in passing all the Doors. The plot is so well disguised that viewers will never have imagined that Ruan Lanzhu is an NPC, that he is not a real person, but an AI. He is a patch created with a sole purpose to purify the game. And the best part is, even after Ruan Lanzhu confirms Lin Jiushi's suspicions that he is an NPC in episode 72 (out of 78), the truth is not fully revealed. The drama continues to conceal the second plane of existence until the last Door 11 "The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons" |《百鬼夜行》where viewers start to realise that there is more than meets the eye when Ling Jiushi cannot find Ruan Lanzhu in the headquarters of organization "Obsidian" |《黑曜石》during the daytime. But even so, viewers can only hypothesize about this anomaly since the two characters are inside a Door where all sorts of strange things are known to happen.
The full truth - the second plance of existence - is only revealed in the last two episodes after Ruan Lanzhu bids his farewell to Ling Jiushi and successfully completed his task to purify the game. To say that the truth is mind-boggling is an understatement. Because the drama, the world-building of the Doors, the characters and everything else that we have come to know so very well from the beginning to the end, are not what they are. And on top of these, the drama viewer in me, is still trying to recover from the fact that Ruan Lanzhu is an NPC.
My world as the viewer of Doors crumbles along with the realization that the entire drama takes place in the virtual world "Spirit Realm" | 灵境. All the Doors that Ling Jiushi and Ruan Lanzhu enter into reside within this Spirit Realm, not the real world. After Ling Jiushi finally comes out from the Spirit realm and returns to the real world, he find strangers living in the headquarters of organization "Obsidian" |《黑曜石》. There is no Ruan Lanzhu because he is not from the real world. The revelation takes my breath away and renders me speechless.
And finally, I will explain the reason why I prefer the ending in the book to that of the drama.
In the drama, Lin Qiushi successfully creates the "Spirit Realm" | 灵境 after fifty years, duplicating everything, everyone, and most importantly the Ruan Lanzhu, that he knows from his Door entering experiences. He uploads himself - basically his existence, his memories and all - to the "Spirit Realm" | 灵境. He reunites with Ruan Lanzhu. The pair is finally together forever. This is a happy ending. BUT, there are two things of significance to note. First, Ling Jiushi spends fifty years alone by himself in the real world before he reunites with Ruan Lanzhu. Fifty years! This is self-explanatory, I don't think I need to elaborate any further. Second, the reunion is not without cost. In truth, this reunion with Ruan Lanzhu signifies Ling Jiushi's death.
In contrast...
In the book, Ruan Nanzhu gives Lin Qiushi the choice to choose, whether to stay inside the illusory world within the twelfth Door or return to the real world. Lin Qiushi chooses the latter and spends one year alone by himself in the real world. Ruan Nanzhu relinquishes his role as the twelfth Door keeper and comes out of the Door to join Lin Qiushi in the real world. The pair is finally together. This is a happy ending too, but especially so, when we consider and compare the two things of significance. First, Ling Jiushi spends only one year by himself in the real world before Ruan Nanzhu reunites with him. Second, and most importantly, Ling Jiushi does not have to give up his life. No one has to die.
Publisher: 江苏凤凰文艺出版社
Publication date: 2021年09月
*** Favourite Quote 1 ***
《光》第5卷 米诺陶诺斯 第7章 第437页
“你能听到别人听不到的声音对吧？”阮南烛说，“这是门送给你的礼物。”
林秋石继续听着。
“我也能看到别人看不到的东西。” 阮南烛道，“每个人身上都有光。”
*** Favourite Quote 2 ***
《醒不来的噩梦》第5卷 米诺陶诺斯 第7章 第446页
但这不是梦，或者就算是梦，也是醒不来的噩梦。
*** Favourite Quote 3 ***
《字面上的意思》第5卷 米诺陶诺斯 第8章 第459页
阮南烛道：“我曾经和一个过了第十一扇门的人聊过。”
白铭看着阮南烛。
“他没什么想说的，但反复重申了一件事。” 阮南烛道，“不要对其他人怀有歹意。”
白铭：“……什么意思？” 他一时间没办法理解阮南烛口中的话。
阮南烛道：“字面上的意思。”
========
《字面上的意思》第5卷 米诺陶诺斯 第8章 第460页
“对了，你的第十一扇门是后年对吧？”白铭说，“线索是什么能说吗？”
“可以。”阮南烛无所谓，“无解。”
“啊？” 白铭一时间没反应过来阮南烛说的话，“无解？”
“字面上的意思。” 阮南烛道，“我进去了两次，线索都是无解。”
*** Favourite Quote 4 ***
《在乎一个人，好似有了软肋，也有了铠甲》第6卷 无解 第7章 第534页
这是林秋石进第十一扇门以来，睡过的最沉稳的觉，他知道阮南烛就陪在他的身边，只要天暗下来，他们便能见到彼此。
而无论是东西抑或是死亡，都无法将两人分开，他也不再恐惧，内心巨大的空洞，被另一个平和的灵魂填满。
原本可怖的夜晚，因为阮南烛的存在，反而让人期待了起来。
林秋石终于明白了那句话，在乎一个人，好似有了软肋，也有了铠甲。
他们终于成为了彼此最坚实的倚靠。
*** Favourite Quote 5 ***
《没有你的世界，都是假的》第6卷 无解 第9章 第548页
“你喜欢白天吗？” 林秋石问他。
“不喜欢。” 阮南烛说，“白天里有很多好的东西……但是……那里没有你。”
林秋石一点点抚摸着阮南烛的头发，手指从他的发丝穿过，看向阮南烛的眼神慈爱得像是在看自己的小孩：“你本来拥有更好的人生。” 阮南烛和他不同，他有父母，有兄弟，如果没有门，他显然会过得更幸福，不用经历死亡的威胁，也不用失去那么多心爱的朋友。
“可是那里没有你啊。” 阮南烛绝望地道，“林秋石你到底懂不懂，没有你的世界，都是假的！”
林秋石看着阮南烛，他想要控制住自己的情绪，继续安抚他，却发现自己做不到了。
时间已经过了一个小时，他们甚至无法确定明天还能不能见到对方。
========
《没有你的世界，都是假的》第6卷 无解 第10章 第559页
林秋石想说很多话，但不知道为啥，都讲不出来。
林秋石感到自己的身体发软，他喃喃道：“我以为你再也不会回来了。”
阮南烛看着他。
“我以为你选择了虚幻的世界。” 林秋石说，“我以为我只能一个人。”
“我说过了。” 阮南烛道，“没有你的世界，都是假的。”
~ Kaleidoscope of Death (Break the Cocoon book 2) |《死亡万花筒》破茧【下】
Xi Zi Xu | 西子绪
@}--->>--->>-----
起初的异样，是家里的猫不让抱了。 林秋石发现周围的一切都开始变得充满了不协调感。 然后某一天，当他推开家中的门，却发现熟悉的楼道变成了长长的走廊。 走廊的两头，是十二扇一模一样的铁门。 故事由此开始。
*Blurb from Goodreads*
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