Chapter 119: Turmoil of a Game-Wide Announcement

Chapter 119: Chapter 119: Turmoil of a Game-Wide Announcement

Upon seeing the message, Xu Huo’s back stiffened abruptly, and only after reading the latter half did he relax again.

Ordinary items were enough to make general players fight until they bled, let alone a Super Prop that would trigger a district-wide announcement upon being obtained. Not just ordinary players, but even state organizations like the special affairs bureau would be tempted.

His nickname information was not completely secret, at the very least, all the players who played the Beheading Demon Copy knew it, and the special affairs bureau, having captured the Cannibal Player Liu Yuanyuan, should know part of his information.

It’s not unusual for the game to have player level rankings or copy performance leaderboards. Nickname numbers and such information can’t be concealed, but he hadn’t expected that a district-wide announcement would be made out of the blue because of the Super Prop. Thankfully, the game concealed his identity information, or else the first to come after him wouldn’t be players from other districts.

"Brother Xu!" Yuan Yao suddenly became excited, pulling out his phone to type out a line: "Did you get the announcement too?"

Xu Huo squinted his eyes, sizing him up and scrutinizing his expression.

"Fuck! That’s amazing, a district-wide announcement! Though I don’t know what it is, if it prompts the game to notify players, it must be a top-notch item!"

"And who knows what kind of godforsaken place this E27-014 is, someone actually got a Super Prop there!"

Huang Junjie reached over and tapped the number displayed on his phone screen, "This, it’s on our return tickets."

The Beheading Demon Copy they played provided them with return tickets that had the same number.

"So that means..." Yuan Yao opened his mouth wide in shock, opening and closing it before saying, "It’s from our area...!"

"That we don’t know." Huang Junjie shook his head. The game only mentioned 014, but their actual return tickets had additional numbers.

"Brother Xu, analyze this for us." Yuan Yao nudged Xu Huo with his elbow.

Huang Junjie saw that Xu Huo wasn’t in a good mood and said in a lower voice, "We’ll talk when we get back."

The car quickly arrived at Xu Huo’s home. Once the three of them shut the door behind them, Yuan Yao began to talk nonstop like a firecracker: "Brother Xu, what exactly does this E27-014 mean?"

"I know the game world is huge, and there might even be parallel worlds, but does this number mean that the player is like us?"

"Do you think he could be one of our countrymen?"

"It would be great if he were from our country. A player who can obtain a Super Prop must be super strong. Not to mention anything else, in future clashes between nations, we would be a bit more formidable!"

"If it turns out not to be a compatriot, I only hope it’s not one of those major countries, then at least we would still stand a chance."

Xu Huo pinched the bridge of his nose, "This is not a good thing."

"Why do you say that?" Huang Junjie immediately asked.

Xu Huo glanced at him, his gaze turning cold.

Huang Junjie faced his gaze squarely, clearly hinting at his suspicion.

Yes, Huang Junjie suspected that Xu Huo was the one who obtained the Super Prop. Xu Huo had reacted too strangely when the notification came.

"Why, why? I want to know too." Yuan Yao didn’t notice the tension between the two.

Xu Huo shifted his gaze away, briefly explaining how the game was divided, "E27-014, signifies the 14th subdivision of E27 Wormhole Point. My return ticket also has A07 written on it, which I suppose is the territorial code."

"Mine says A07 too. So, the three of us are from the same subdivision under the same Wormhole Point and the same territory," Yuan Yao said. "But the game didn’t notify which territory that player is from. It would be terrible if they were from across the ocean."

Xu Huo shook his head, "That’s a minor concern. Zone 014 is a new game district; there are at least thirteen other districts before it. Zone 009 has had Evolvers for over five years, and the earlier districts have existed even longer."

"That would mean countless advanced players." Huang Junjie understood, and his expression turned ugly.

"What about advanced players?" Yuan Yao said, "Zone 014 just entered the game not long ago, shouldn’t there be a newbie protection period at least?"

"Whether there is a difference isn’t significant," Xu Huo said. "Players from different zones can move between them freely. Once this announcement is made, countless players will try to find ways to come to Zone 014. The restrictions for low-level players won’t control the high-level players. Whether a hundred or just ten come, this world is going to be in turmoil."

In fact, this newbie protection period is more like Schrödinger’s cat—it may or may not exist. This is because in the Slaughterhouse Copy, there are players from other zones who come with tickets, and Old Eagle, who’s trying to set up the Holy Sword Society, is even planning to come from another zone to stay permanently.

"Hunting players, slaughtering regular people, or even taking control of a country—all these could happen."

Gloom lingered in Xu Huo’s eyes; he was now worried about the possibility that advanced players might have ways to investigate Super Props.

Nothing can happen without leaving a trace. "Three Seconds of a Lifetime" can trace back time, causing changes in space and time. Since Super Props have reached this level, there must be some props that can detect these traces!

In an instant, he simulated many methods in his mind to eradicate the traces, but just a few seconds later, he decided to abandon this idea.

Because whether he destroyed the surveillance or simply burned down the villa, the commotion created would only draw more attention. Conversely, by ignoring it, in the vast world with many random copies, it would be even harder to trace back to him.

There was another problem, that of the Girl in the painting by his side.

The Girl in the painting was also a Super Prop.

Although he had learned this from the mouths of other players, he now knew the characteristics of Super Props. The Girl in the painting could transform from a painting into a person and possessed intelligence, fitting the characteristics, undeniably a Super Prop.

What should he do with her?

"It can’t be that bad, right? No matter how powerful it is, it’s still just an item. Is it worth starting a war over it?" After a long silence in the living room, Yuan Yao shivered and spoke up.

"Even the tip of the iceberg that we understand suggests the advanced nature of the game Dimensional Rift. Trains are able to travel through space, something our current technology can’t even imagine. Then there are those items that defy common sense, and we’ve only gotten our hands on the lowest-level ones!" Huang Junjie realized the gravity then, "The power held by high-level props is unimaginable. In the fiercely competitive game, this is the foundation upon which players survive. What would ordinary people and ordinary countries amount to in the eyes of players who have seized advanced powers?"

"So, what should we do?" Yuan Yao looked at them.

"If we really can’t block players from other zones... when the time comes, we’ll have to rely on the power of the state machinery," Xu Huo said.

In the short time of their conversation, leaders of countries around the world, who possessed the truth, had gathered at the fastest speed, voting on a military operation of the highest caliber.

Just thirty minutes later, various commands were passed down in order, spreading swiftly to every branch and leaf of the nations.

Ting City First Research Institute had also received notice three minutes earlier.

Nie Xuan was shocked and angry after listening to Chief Wu’s words, "Transfer me to Jing City? Why!"

"Isn’t the top priority right now to find that player?"

Chief Wu gestured with his hand for calm, "Trying to find one player across the entirety of the country is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Even if we search, the other party won’t show themselves willingly."

"The nation must be prepared for a major disaster, planning to protect a group of potential players in advance."

"You are a rare excellent talent and the future of the nation. Whether this catastrophe comes or not, keeping the seeds of hope alive is crucial!"

"What about the other players?" Nie Xuan said coldly, "The players the country is mobilizing now are just a minority. Many potential players are still being fought over. Are we just going to ignore them?"

"The country can’t protect everyone." Chief Wu said seriously, "Those players, the Special Affairs Bureau, ordinary civil servants, and even me, we all have to become the barriers that protect the nation!"

Nie Xuan’s gaze turned cold, "So to put it simply, you’re giving up on them?"