Chapter 22

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Ke Meng’s strange cat review video was still gaining views on the internet.

It looked extremely realistic, but it was impossible that it existed in reality. Because of that, the first reaction of the viewer was usually shock. Then they would be attracted by its strangeness.

Ever since the video had gone viral, the people had begun following this B Site uploader called ‘BlueOcean OvO’.

His latest video was a review of an Immense Strength Glove, whereby he lifted the car’s bumper with a single arm. Although there was no support of any extra gimmicks, it went viral on the internet as the effect looked very real, just like the strange cat. 

“My, my. He lifted the bumper.”

“All gods on the internet, may I know how he did that?”

“I’m just guessing, but I think he lifted the bumper with a jack and then photoshopped the jack away. It’s a seamless solution.”

“It’s so real when he puts the bumper down. Do you really think he used a jack?”

“It can be done, it just takes time.”

Many netizens became Ke Meng’s fans due to how real the videos were. They shared the videos to their group chats to get their friends to watch.

After the new batch of netizens watched the videos, they sent it to more people. As such, the two videos were spreading at high speed.

…

On another planet, the people at the Orange Planet Omnic City Institute had completed the ‘Brainwave warning of the three players’ study report.

“What we can confirm is that an unknown bug appeared in the game, causing the three players to be overly stimulated. In order to protect their bodies, the brains chose to lose the memory about what happened in the game.

“The proof would be the same evil sacrificial ceremony that appeared in the game at the same time for the three players. It would mean that the Dog-headed People Mountain Village in the game indeed had a sacrificial ceremony.

“However, we can’t retrieve what happened during that period of time. The video of the game did not record the thing that was above the well. The game codes have no correspondent object either. We have a theory about that. There was a mutation in one of the AI systems during that period of time, causing it to be detached from the control center. We need to beware of this mutated AI, as it might break through the core codes’ limit…”

The game company’s representative raised his hand to speak after the Omnic City Institute researcher finished his report. “Since it’s the mutated AI’s fault and the cause has been detected, can we reopen the game ‘World’?”

“You can.” The researcher paused and explained, “We’ll send research experts to perform entrapment on the virtual reality game ‘World’ to get the mutated AI to show itself.”

The researcher sat down after he was done speaking.

Chatters grew in the meeting room. Everyone was discussing the detailed plan of the entrapment.

The engineers were high in spirits. It was the first time humans found the possibility that mutated AIs existed. 

They used the computing skills to collaborate with a few cities to search through the three player’s gaming pods. However, they had not found the possible hidden mutated codes.

AI was a logical thinking mode, and the underlying code was the core logic. It would not do anything to harm the players.

Meanwhile, what the three players had experienced during the sacrificial ceremony was clearly out of the first core logic—humans are not to be harmed, or the negligence of watching the humans being in danger is prohibited.

The human scientists had a great interest in that. Many of them had decided to let the game ‘World’ reopen so that they could set up traps to capture it!

If it was ignored, nobody could imagine what it would grow into in the future.

To prevent suspicion from the players, the official company would not prohibit players from logging in. The game would proceed as usual so that the players would not be suspicious. 

Meanwhile, on the topic of whether the three players should play the game again, the brain and psychology experts emphasized that they could not return to the virtual reality game ‘World’.

“The three players have hidden psychological traumas now. Although they can’t recollect the terrifying event due to memory loss, they will definitely go through an even bigger psychological trauma if they reencounter similar stimulation.

“Given that there might be a mutated AI, we have the reason to protect the three citizens’ safety. We can’t let the three of them enter the virtual reality game ‘World’ again.”

After the report was concluded, the three players received the official concluded report.

“What? I can no longer log into the virtual reality game ‘World’?” The leather-armored assassin player, Wang Qing, thought it was ridiculous. “I disagree with that. It’s my account, why can’t I log in?”

“I’m sorry, a possible trauma might be triggered again if you enter the game. The game company has prohibited your authorization to enter the game ‘World’. Please select another virtual reality game.” The game’s official brain apologized. “To compensate for your loss, the Virtual Reality Game Association has customized an online game package for you. You can play all of the games apart from ‘World’.”

Wang Qing opened his mouth as he read the official reply. “Is it that serious?”

The other two male players also received the prohibition notice as well as the online game package compensation.

The two female players who used to be their teammates were not prohibited. They could still log into ‘World’.

Today was the end of the game’s maintenance, so all of the players could log in again.

The female player, White Milk, had been waiting for the day to come. Although other virtual reality games were fun too, she had no idea why ‘World’ gave a different feeling. It was very mysterious when many skills were released instead of the combination of pure lights and sound.

Although other virtual reality games advertised to have 100% real sensation, the cool effect was produced by light images and interchanging sounds. Nothing really affected their bodies’ sensation as it should be.

However, it was different for ‘World’. Its optimization was different from the rest. The players could clearly feel as if their bodies had turned into water when they released Water Magic. There would be water passing by their bodies, which was a very amazing feeling.

She could not describe the feeling. No matter what, it was much better than other games.

She wore a pair of white shorts and lay in the soft gaming pod. She closed her eyes and was soon asleep.

“Welcome back.

“Your character has been revived.

“Level -1”

Lines of faint words flashed through her eyes. White Milk opened her eyes and saw herself in the resurrection altar located in the Rookie Village.

It was one of the game’s settings. The players would be revived at the resurrection altar after death.

Perhaps resurrection skills existed in the game world, but the game had just been launched for a short time. The players had low levels, so nobody possessed such a skill.

Therefore, the players could only be revived at the resurrection altar after death. They would definitely have one level dropped upon revival, as well as losing one random equipment.

White Milk opened her dimensional backpack and discovered it was empty. Nothing was left behind—the dog-headed people had taken everything.

White Milk ground her teeth from anger as she thought to this point.

‘Those evil dog-headed people, I must kill them!’

“Are you online?” Her good friend, ‘Lingering Sweetness’, sent her a message.

White Milk said in rage, “Yes, where are you? Let’s level up and destroy the Dog-headed People Mountain Village.” 

“I want to destroy them too. Do you know that the people at the Dog-headed People Mountain Village snatched all of my equipment? I’m so pissed!”

“Same here. Nothing left in my backpack!”

Fire seemed to be spurting in the two female players’ eyes as they talked about the Dog-headed People Mountain Village. They were enraged!