“A virus?” The man’s eyes flashed with doubt. The entire game world of Nightmare City was built by Zeus, and for over a hundred years, Zeus had never made a mistake. How could there possibly be a virus?
“A new player dungeon had a bit of an issue, hmm, and there was also a strange player.”
The child sat up straight, the blue strings of characters constantly flashing in his eyes made him look a bit eerie. The people in the room were used to it, but a virus appearing in the game was a big problem, because Nightmare City was different from ordinary games.
Holographic games used corresponding devices to capture people’s brainwaves and copy them into virtual space. The five senses and spiritual power could all be fully replicated in the virtual world. If there was a problem with the game, it might affect the brain, with extremely serious consequences.
Currently, ten percent of the Empire’s citizens had entered the game. Although it didn’t sound like much, the combined population of countless planets across the entire galaxy was a formidable and terrifying number.
“What was the issue with the dungeon, and what about that player? Will it affect the entire game?” Alvia no longer looked down at the files. His slender fingers tapped on the table, and his ice-blue eyes looked at Zeus with a serious and grave expression.
Zeus answered directly to the Emperor of the Empire, so he would answer any of his questions. “The Love Academy beginner dungeon is being investigated and has been restored to normal. The player account ID 2021081420410803 of Zhou Zhou is showing abnormalities, but has no impact on the game.”
As long as there was no impact, that was good. But Love Academy? Zhou Zhou?
That was the beginner dungeon he had just entered and the player he had encountered in the dungeon.
Alvia’s mind conjured up an image of a delicate, white face, clear bright eyes carrying a hint of apprehension and curiosity, like a newborn fawn peeking out to observe the unfamiliar world, ready to turn and flee at the slightest start.
Yet his actions were quite bold. Facing horrifying, even disgusting monsters, he showed no abnormality, his attitude completely natural.
“What was the issue with that player?” For him to make even Zeus think it was abnormal.
Zeus’s small face suddenly drooped, his tone carrying hesitation, “It seems like there wasn’t really an issue.”
Alvia shot him an unsatisfied look, what did that ambiguous answer mean?
“His account did show abnormalities at first, but a few seconds later it was normal. I checked the entire game and there were no issues.” Zeus was also perplexed, this was the first time he had encountered such a situation.
Alvia thought deeper than Zeus. No one had ever been able to escape Zeus’s control before, and this person had encountered him in the same dungeon. The other party had even intended to chat him up, it was too coincidental.
Out of the countless players across the galaxy, this person’s account had an issue, and he just happened to encounter Alvia on his first time entering the game. Moreover, Alvia had been intentionally avoiding people in the dungeon, yet he had ended up rescuing this person.
With so many coincidences piling up, it could not possibly be a mere coincidence.
Could it be that this was all designed in advance by those rats always hiding in the shadows, plotting rebellion? Or those restless nobles? Or perhaps the clamoring voices seeking to revive the old, incompetent nation?
A cold smile appeared at the corners of his mouth, and the chill in Alvia’s eyes intensified.
They had certainly found a good candidate. That young man of tender age, with outstanding looks and an innocent personality. Anyone who met him would take a liking to him. If they had a few more “chance encounters,” he might truly be able to get close to Alvia.
Alvia didn’t ponder it further and gave the order directly, “If there’s no impact on the game, don’t take action against him for now. If any danger is discovered, you have permission to immediately eliminate him.”
‘Nightmare City’ was connected to the brain domain, and the brain was the most vulnerable part of the human body. Any slight damage could have fatal consequences, so the system controlling the entire game, Zeus, could be said to hold the power of life and death over all players.
Of course, the purpose of creating this game was not for that reason, so the instructions Zeus received were to not take any harmful actions against players. This was Zeus’s core directive, applicable to all systems under his control.
Only one person could bypass the directive and issue commands directly, and that person was the current Emperor of the Empire, Alvia.
If their intention was to sabotage the game and cause unrest, Zeus would naturally eliminate them.
If their target was him…
Perhaps this was an opportunity, a chance to lure the snake out of its hole.
Meanwhile, the suspicion-arousing Zhou Zhou was currently gazing around in awe at the new world.
Ever since leaving the building, his eyes had been wide open, the two round orbs staring about. Everything here overturned his previous understanding.
Countless towering, bizarrely-shaped buildings piercing the clouds, strangely-dressed people, flying vehicles zipping past on the ground and in the air, and various other things he had never seen before.
Zhou Zhou’s eyes couldn’t keep up, fixated on a swaying tree by the roadside until Ke Li and the others pulled him away. Then he gazed at the blue ribbon-like river floating in the sky, unable to move.
There were novel and interesting things everywhere.
Of course, this was a virtual world, so anything that existed or didn’t exist in reality could be realized here.
Having only ever been at school, Zhou Zhou was curious about everything he had never seen before.
Ke Li and Xue Li had to support him on either side. Whenever he showed signs of stopping, they would pull his arms and drag him away.
If they let him gaze like that, he wouldn’t be done looking by next year.
“Let’s eat first. I’ve been eyeing a restaurant for a while now, and I finally have enough points. Let’s go try it.”
Xue Li was already impatient to eat. Even though she wasn’t hungry, many of the restaurants here were based on real ones that existed. The planet they were from was rather remote, so while she had seen many foods online, she had never actually tasted them.
Now with the holographic equipment, they could taste cuisine from all over the galaxy in the game. Most importantly, they wouldn’t get fat, it was simply her dream come true.
Zhou Zhou, on the other hand, wasn’t particularly interested in eating. He only agreed because of his prior arrangement with Xue Li. He had never eaten before, nor did he need to eat. Any object here was more attractive to him than food.
The two escorted him to a restaurant that was hugely popular across the galaxy. The virtual shops were identical to their real-world counterparts, and Xue Li had long wanted to try it out.
The three sat around a square table. Xue Li began ordering dishes while Zhou Zhou turned his head this way and that, observing the restaurant’s decor. The azure walls seemed to have water flowing across them, and you could even see a few little fish swimming within.
Ke Li, having held back the entire way, finally couldn’t resist asking once they were seated, “Zhou Zhou, how many points did you get in the final tally this time?”
“points?”
Zhou Zhou pulled his attention back. Where could he see his points? Did he even have any?
Summoning his quest panel, Zhou Zhou quickly found the information.
He did have points.
“75,000 points,” Zhou Zhou calmly replied.
Ke Li: !
Xue Li: !
That was way too high!
They had expected Zhou Zhou to have more than them, but not this much more, over ten times as many!
“How, how much did your spiritual power increase?” Ke Li’s words were disjointed.
Zhou Zhou looked again. “Oh, it’s zero.”
Ke Li: ?
Xue Li: ?
How could it be zero? They had both increased by several points.
“What did your SAN value fluctuation graph and brain domain fluctuation graph look like?” Xue Li asked.
Supposedly, changes in spiritual power were related to several data points, the most important being the SAN value and brain domain fluctuation graphs. The more drastic the fluctuations, the greater the impact on spiritual power and the faster the increase.
Zhou Zhou obediently began searching. “The SAN value fluctuation graph is a flat line at one hundred, and the brain domain fluctuation graph rose at first before declining later.”
His SAN value remained at one hundred?
Recalling how their own SAN values had nearly bottomed out, the two suddenly felt a surge of respect for Zhou Zhou, who was still gazing at them expectantly.
This was a true expert.
An unchanging SAN value meant Zhou Zhou felt no fear at all in the game, it could even be said to have had no impact on him whatsoever. But his brain domain did fluctuate?
“Can you show me your brain domain fluctuation graph?” Ke Li asked.
Zhou Zhou nodded and clumsily sent the graph to him. Upon receiving and opening it, Ke Li’s expression became rather complex.
This could hardly be called rising and then falling. The graph showed almost no fluctuation, just a slight up-and-down movement at a few points that would be imperceptible without close inspection. His own graph had fluctuated by dozens of points!
Fluctuating by just one point, was there really not an issue with the system?
Originally trusting Zeus completely, Ke Li began to have doubts, which then turned inward as he wondered if perhaps he was simply terrible at this.
Ke Li glanced at his sister, recalling the graphs Xue Li had sent while they were waiting for Zhou Zhou. Could it be that their family’s genes were just bad, and they were both terrible at this?
Unaware that Ke Li was doubting his very existence, Xue Li had already ordered their food, which was now arrayed across the table in a colorful and exquisitely plated display that made one reluctant to disrupt its aesthetic beauty.
Xue Li paid it no mind, beckoning for Zhou Zhou to dig in while letting her brother continue his research.
Taking a bite, she found it tasted just as delicious as she had imagined, blissfully squinting her eyes.
Zhou Zhou carefully watched her pick up her chopsticks, take some food, and put it in her mouth. He then picked up his own pair of chopsticks, took the same dish Xue Li had eaten, and put it in his mouth.
The instant it touched his tongue, his eyes flew wide open in shock.
A slightly sweet taste spread through his mouth. Some unknown white, doughy ingredient melted the moment it hit his tongue, a hint of coolness following the sweetness and permeating his heart and chest. Even his brain felt a sense of blissful delight.
Delicious!
The sensation was marvelous, and he loved the feeling.
Gazing at the array of dishes on the table, Zhou Zhou reached his chopsticks toward another plate.
While Ke Li was busy doubting himself and failing to figure things out, ultimately deciding to just eat first, he looked down to find that half the dishes were already gone.
Ke Li: They didn’t even wait for me!
He immediately joined the fray, the three of them moving faster and faster. Though initially the slowest, Zhou Zhou’s chopstick technique became increasingly adept, his speed picking up as well.
The three of them looked as though they had never eaten before. Not only was Zhou Zhou the fastest, but his movements were also graceful, drawing the occasional glance from those around them.
The youth’s lips curved upward, his eyes crinkling into crescents, delighted every time he secured a dish. His already striking features, combined with that brilliant smile, made it impossible to look away.
After eating and drinking their fill, the three slumped in their chairs, expressions utterly content.
After a while, Ke Li checked the time and saw it was getting late, urging his sister that it was time to log off.
They both had jobs in the real world, so their time in the game was limited and they couldn’t continue playing.
Bidding Zhou Zhou farewell and telling him to log off and rest as well, they tapped the logout button on their quest panels and immediately vanished from the spot.
Zhou Zhou remained slumped in his chair watching them disappear, slowly sitting upright. He browsed through his own quest panel, finding a logout button at the very bottom. He had seen Xue Li and Ke Li tap this button before vanishing.
They said they were going home.
Home?
Zhou Zhou sat there silently, lost in thought for a long while before finally moving. He extended a finger and gently tapped the logout button.
“A virus?” The man’s eyes flashed with doubt. The entire game world of Nightmare City was built by Zeus, and for over a hundred years, Zeus had never made a mistake. How could there possibly be a virus?
“A new player dungeon had a bit of an issue, hmm, and there was also a strange player.”
The child sat up straight, the blue strings of characters constantly flashing in his eyes made him look a bit eerie. The people in the room were used to it, but a virus appearing in the game was a big problem, because Nightmare City was different from ordinary games.
Holographic games used corresponding devices to capture people’s brainwaves and copy them into virtual space. The five senses and spiritual power could all be fully replicated in the virtual world. If there was a problem with the game, it might affect the brain, with extremely serious consequences.
Currently, ten percent of the Empire’s citizens had entered the game. Although it didn’t sound like much, the combined population of countless planets across the entire galaxy was a formidable and terrifying number.
“What was the issue with the dungeon, and what about that player? Will it affect the entire game?” Alvia no longer looked down at the files. His slender fingers tapped on the table, and his ice-blue eyes looked at Zeus with a serious and grave expression.
Zeus answered directly to the Emperor of the Empire, so he would answer any of his questions. “The Love Academy beginner dungeon is being investigated and has been restored to normal. The player account ID 2021081420410803 of Zhou Zhou is showing abnormalities, but has no impact on the game.”
As long as there was no impact, that was good. But Love Academy? Zhou Zhou?
That was the beginner dungeon he had just entered and the player he had encountered in the dungeon.
Alvia’s mind conjured up an image of a delicate, white face, clear bright eyes carrying a hint of apprehension and curiosity, like a newborn fawn peeking out to observe the unfamiliar world, ready to turn and flee at the slightest start.
Yet his actions were quite bold. Facing horrifying, even disgusting monsters, he showed no abnormality, his attitude completely natural.
“What was the issue with that player?” For him to make even Zeus think it was abnormal.
Zeus’s small face suddenly drooped, his tone carrying hesitation, “It seems like there wasn’t really an issue.”
Alvia shot him an unsatisfied look, what did that ambiguous answer mean?
“His account did show abnormalities at first, but a few seconds later it was normal. I checked the entire game and there were no issues.” Zeus was also perplexed, this was the first time he had encountered such a situation.
Alvia thought deeper than Zeus. No one had ever been able to escape Zeus’s control before, and this person had encountered him in the same dungeon. The other party had even intended to chat him up, it was too coincidental.
Out of the countless players across the galaxy, this person’s account had an issue, and he just happened to encounter Alvia on his first time entering the game. Moreover, Alvia had been intentionally avoiding people in the dungeon, yet he had ended up rescuing this person.
With so many coincidences piling up, it could not possibly be a mere coincidence.
Could it be that this was all designed in advance by those rats always hiding in the shadows, plotting rebellion? Or those restless nobles? Or perhaps the clamoring voices seeking to revive the old, incompetent nation?
A cold smile appeared at the corners of his mouth, and the chill in Alvia’s eyes intensified.
They had certainly found a good candidate. That young man of tender age, with outstanding looks and an innocent personality. Anyone who met him would take a liking to him. If they had a few more “chance encounters,” he might truly be able to get close to Alvia.
Alvia didn’t ponder it further and gave the order directly, “If there’s no impact on the game, don’t take action against him for now. If any danger is discovered, you have permission to immediately eliminate him.”
‘Nightmare City’ was connected to the brain domain, and the brain was the most vulnerable part of the human body. Any slight damage could have fatal consequences, so the system controlling the entire game, Zeus, could be said to hold the power of life and death over all players.
Of course, the purpose of creating this game was not for that reason, so the instructions Zeus received were to not take any harmful actions against players. This was Zeus’s core directive, applicable to all systems under his control.
Only one person could bypass the directive and issue commands directly, and that person was the current Emperor of the Empire, Alvia.
If their intention was to sabotage the game and cause unrest, Zeus would naturally eliminate them.
If their target was him…
Perhaps this was an opportunity, a chance to lure the snake out of its hole.
Meanwhile, the suspicion-arousing Zhou Zhou was currently gazing around in awe at the new world.
Ever since leaving the building, his eyes had been wide open, the two round orbs staring about. Everything here overturned his previous understanding.
Countless towering, bizarrely-shaped buildings piercing the clouds, strangely-dressed people, flying vehicles zipping past on the ground and in the air, and various other things he had never seen before.
Zhou Zhou’s eyes couldn’t keep up, fixated on a swaying tree by the roadside until Ke Li and the others pulled him away. Then he gazed at the blue ribbon-like river floating in the sky, unable to move.
There were novel and interesting things everywhere.
Of course, this was a virtual world, so anything that existed or didn’t exist in reality could be realized here.
Having only ever been at school, Zhou Zhou was curious about everything he had never seen before.
Ke Li and Xue Li had to support him on either side. Whenever he showed signs of stopping, they would pull his arms and drag him away.
If they let him gaze like that, he wouldn’t be done looking by next year.
“Let’s eat first. I’ve been eyeing a restaurant for a while now, and I finally have enough points. Let’s go try it.”
Xue Li was already impatient to eat. Even though she wasn’t hungry, many of the restaurants here were based on real ones that existed. The planet they were from was rather remote, so while she had seen many foods online, she had never actually tasted them.
Now with the holographic equipment, they could taste cuisine from all over the galaxy in the game. Most importantly, they wouldn’t get fat, it was simply her dream come true.
Zhou Zhou, on the other hand, wasn’t particularly interested in eating. He only agreed because of his prior arrangement with Xue Li. He had never eaten before, nor did he need to eat. Any object here was more attractive to him than food.
The two escorted him to a restaurant that was hugely popular across the galaxy. The virtual shops were identical to their real-world counterparts, and Xue Li had long wanted to try it out.
The three sat around a square table. Xue Li began ordering dishes while Zhou Zhou turned his head this way and that, observing the restaurant’s decor. The azure walls seemed to have water flowing across them, and you could even see a few little fish swimming within.
Ke Li, having held back the entire way, finally couldn’t resist asking once they were seated, “Zhou Zhou, how many points did you get in the final tally this time?”
“points?”
Zhou Zhou pulled his attention back. Where could he see his points? Did he even have any?
Summoning his quest panel, Zhou Zhou quickly found the information.
He did have points.
“75,000 points,” Zhou Zhou calmly replied.
Ke Li: !
Xue Li: !
That was way too high!
They had expected Zhou Zhou to have more than them, but not this much more, over ten times as many!
“How, how much did your spiritual power increase?” Ke Li’s words were disjointed.
Zhou Zhou looked again. “Oh, it’s zero.”
Ke Li: ?
Xue Li: ?
How could it be zero? They had both increased by several points.
“What did your SAN value fluctuation graph and brain domain fluctuation graph look like?” Xue Li asked.
Supposedly, changes in spiritual power were related to several data points, the most important being the SAN value and brain domain fluctuation graphs. The more drastic the fluctuations, the greater the impact on spiritual power and the faster the increase.
Zhou Zhou obediently began searching. “The SAN value fluctuation graph is a flat line at one hundred, and the brain domain fluctuation graph rose at first before declining later.”
His SAN value remained at one hundred?
Recalling how their own SAN values had nearly bottomed out, the two suddenly felt a surge of respect for Zhou Zhou, who was still gazing at them expectantly.
This was a true expert.
An unchanging SAN value meant Zhou Zhou felt no fear at all in the game, it could even be said to have had no impact on him whatsoever. But his brain domain did fluctuate?
“Can you show me your brain domain fluctuation graph?” Ke Li asked.
Zhou Zhou nodded and clumsily sent the graph to him. Upon receiving and opening it, Ke Li’s expression became rather complex.
This could hardly be called rising and then falling. The graph showed almost no fluctuation, just a slight up-and-down movement at a few points that would be imperceptible without close inspection. His own graph had fluctuated by dozens of points!
Fluctuating by just one point, was there really not an issue with the system?
Originally trusting Zeus completely, Ke Li began to have doubts, which then turned inward as he wondered if perhaps he was simply terrible at this.
Ke Li glanced at his sister, recalling the graphs Xue Li had sent while they were waiting for Zhou Zhou. Could it be that their family’s genes were just bad, and they were both terrible at this?
Unaware that Ke Li was doubting his very existence, Xue Li had already ordered their food, which was now arrayed across the table in a colorful and exquisitely plated display that made one reluctant to disrupt its aesthetic beauty.
Xue Li paid it no mind, beckoning for Zhou Zhou to dig in while letting her brother continue his research.
Taking a bite, she found it tasted just as delicious as she had imagined, blissfully squinting her eyes.
Zhou Zhou carefully watched her pick up her chopsticks, take some food, and put it in her mouth. He then picked up his own pair of chopsticks, took the same dish Xue Li had eaten, and put it in his mouth.
The instant it touched his tongue, his eyes flew wide open in shock.
A slightly sweet taste spread through his mouth. Some unknown white, doughy ingredient melted the moment it hit his tongue, a hint of coolness following the sweetness and permeating his heart and chest. Even his brain felt a sense of blissful delight.
Delicious!
The sensation was marvelous, and he loved the feeling.
Gazing at the array of dishes on the table, Zhou Zhou reached his chopsticks toward another plate.
While Ke Li was busy doubting himself and failing to figure things out, ultimately deciding to just eat first, he looked down to find that half the dishes were already gone.
Ke Li: They didn’t even wait for me!
He immediately joined the fray, the three of them moving faster and faster. Though initially the slowest, Zhou Zhou’s chopstick technique became increasingly adept, his speed picking up as well.
The three of them looked as though they had never eaten before. Not only was Zhou Zhou the fastest, but his movements were also graceful, drawing the occasional glance from those around them.
The youth’s lips curved upward, his eyes crinkling into crescents, delighted every time he secured a dish. His already striking features, combined with that brilliant smile, made it impossible to look away.
After eating and drinking their fill, the three slumped in their chairs, expressions utterly content.
After a while, Ke Li checked the time and saw it was getting late, urging his sister that it was time to log off.
They both had jobs in the real world, so their time in the game was limited and they couldn’t continue playing.
Bidding Zhou Zhou farewell and telling him to log off and rest as well, they tapped the logout button on their quest panels and immediately vanished from the spot.
Zhou Zhou remained slumped in his chair watching them disappear, slowly sitting upright. He browsed through his own quest panel, finding a logout button at the very bottom. He had seen Xue Li and Ke Li tap this button before vanishing.
They said they were going home.
Home?
Zhou Zhou sat there silently, lost in thought for a long while before finally moving. He extended a finger and gently tapped the logout button.
