Chapter 190 - 188

Chapter 190: Chapter 188 "Total Annihilation"I’ve said before that we shouldn’t watch Edward’s live streams, the plot is always so fragmented. It had me totally confused until some forum bigshot mentioned that Su Ming’an’s storyline is the most complete, otherwise, I would’ve never understood."

"Don’t be like that, dude. If you like the storyline, you can always follow the forum analysis, and there are quite a few who enjoy watching Edward’s PvP too."

"But this isn’t some RPG game, and Adventurer Players aren’t the protagonists of the game, what are you guys so focused on the World Replica storyline for?"

"Shh, shh, shh, why so serious... Paying attention to these things also contributes to Adventurer Players, right? Otherwise, where would their Live Streaming Points come from? We’re all Players, let’s not distinguish between high and low, noble and humble."

Qin Ze walked and listened to these people’s discussions.

This was his habit; he liked to "sense the public mood," immerse himself in the crowds, and find out about the current trends people were flocking to.

On the internet, it’s common to miss the forest for the trees, and as forums became the most common channel for communication, the phenomenon of being manipulated and blinded by public opinion became more frequent. Qin Ze didn’t like to parrot others, nor did he like to be a follower. To hold his own ideas in this chaotic world, that was the life attitude of this precocious twelve-year-old boy.

He walked along, like a perfectly normal child lost in the Main God Space, whose parents hadn’t been selected for the World game. As he neared a tall building, he looked up and saw the grid-like windows sparkle in the daylight, like jewels scattered on a flat surface.

And at the height of the twelfth floor, there hung a small sign with letters of Dragon Country, reading "Qianze House."

Although the price of this CBD server housing was slightly more expensive than the ordinary service area, it wasn’t that much more costly. The office building had high floors and small partitioned areas, averaging out to just a few dozen Points per room. However, the place had rental conditions; it wasn’t just about having Points. They also reviewed the income levels of Players who wished to stay.

To have an office residence in such a location, one’s income level had to be quite high.

Qianze House was just so. As a brand known for selling peripherals on the World forum, with a reputation both good and notorious, its Number One Painter, known for her aggressive red and black designs, received plenty of criticism. However, many who agreed that "those useless viewers needed to be taught a lesson" worshiped her as the Number One Player’s top follower and believed that true followers should act exactly like that, that they should be so "graded."

Many people also thought that the explosive actions of Su-style were a form of publicity for Qianze House, using such marketing strategies to build their reputation—after all, there’s hardly anyone now who doesn’t know this brand, and the people behind it must have made a killing.

Subsequently, many sought to imitate this behavior—after all, now, as long as you’re somewhat related to the Number One Player, that’s a hot topic in the forum. For example, blowing up something with a standee of Su Ming’an or starting an offline "Lighthouse Theory" meetup, acting like a bunch of Believers, and actually gathering quite a few fans this way.

"Beep beep beep—"

The video call notification sounded, and Qin Ze answered it. He saw a black-haired girl sitting in a chair on the screen, looking at him. Her normally still eyes now seemed to come alive, she gripped the armrest of her chair tightly with hands that revealed tensed veins.

"Qin Ze, he’s going to look at the super topics," Su-style muttered, her eyes shining brightly as if to confirm this surprisingly delightful fact. Her body trembled as she repeated, "...He’s really going to look at the super topics."

As she spoke, she couldn’t help but burst into laughter, a sweet laugh. She was naturally beautiful, like a freshly bloomed lotus, the very image of first love, the class belle.

"Ah, right, that’s why I was looking for you." Qin Ze smiled. He looked up at the twelfth floor’s sign: "I’m right below your building."

A deep blue screen popped up.

Qin Ze clicked accept, and the next moment, he found himself in a hall.

Su Shi was sitting in a high-backed chair with a glowing sphere in front of her displaying a screen. She browsed the forum excitedly, her fingers tapping away as she perfected her post about wanting to meet Su Ming’an.

Various posters adorned the walls around the hall; some were screenshots from live streams, others were digital paintings. The room resembled that of a starstruck teenage girl’s, with standees on the tables, badges neatly arranged on the counter, and boxes on the floor filled with stacks of stickers—all showcasing her expressions of "love."

Qin Ze clicked his tongue a few times but didn’t dare say anything to this seemingly harmless fangirl; he was also afraid that Su Shi might suddenly go mad.

"I really didn’t expect you to shake off those United Group folks," Qin Ze said.

"If I truly wanted to leave, they couldn’t stop me," Su Shi replied without turning her head: "They are well aware of my influence on the forum. The moment they realized Su Ming’an might actually look at it, they wouldn’t dare harm me."

"It’s surprising... how these people are now so afraid of a former student," Qin Ze laughed: "Sometimes, I still can’t get used to the way things work in the current world. That an individual could be far more important than a collective goes against my values."

"What kind of leaders are those United Group folks?" Su Shi scoffed: "Can’t you see? Even if the United Group was truly a human survival organization with good intentions and responsibility at the start, it was inevitable that as time passed, those ambitious and powerful individuals would take control. The collapse of order under moral constraint cannot be contained by mere morals, and the United Group is no exception."

She had spent some time in the United Group, only to find that the organization was not as united as she had thought, nor as the forum claimed—it wasn’t truly upholding the interests of all humanity. A mix of nationalities without the absolute oppression of military force meant that once conflicts erupted, they would crumble into disarray.

All she saw was factional infighting, their attitudes towards her fluctuating between warm and cold, unpredictable, wanting to both punish and please her, but she never saw a truly upward-striving collective.

The world had become a Solitary Island, and the people, scattered and divided, were only gathering together out of self-interest. As everything was gradually laid bare in the open, those who had gathered for the so-called unity and peace would eventually succumb to reality.

Not everyone is full of truly beautiful qualities from head to toe. Once there are enough rotten apples, anything can happen.

It’s said that in the few days since the Fifth World had begun, the United Group had already begun to show signs of splintering.

Such large-scale organizational bodies are hard to maintain in such a world. With so many people, the points allocated to each are few. Once the troops they’ve rallied disband, splintering is a natural outcome.

Small organizations, composed of just a few individuals, turn out to be the best-suited existence for the current world.

Like the Qianze House, a team with just a few members, with little entanglement of interests, a clear goal, and high points income, probably will not collapse until the world game ends.

Then there are organizations of a few people or even dozens of people, which are also currently quite stable. They’re generally built on pre-existing relationships from Zhai Xing or blood ties, while others have formed because of guilds. Among these teams, there are front-line players, those responsible for logistics with subsidiary occupations, strategy-oriented players skilled at navigating forums, and casual players with a particular knack—all thriving in their current forms.

Qin Ze raised his hand: "I’m just a kid. So many people on the forum don’t see the truth, still believing there will be leaders to guide them. How could I possibly understand? Don’t expect so much from a kid."

"Hehe," Su Shi laughed, her smile containing a trace of disdain for the other players.

Qin Ze had long realized that this seemingly gentle girl was actually proud to the core.

Like an artist detached from worldly concerns, in her eyes everything besides her art was utterly mundane and had to make way for her pursuits.

After achieving certain results, her disdain for "worthless" individuals became even more pronounced.

"So, are you really going to meet with Su Ming’an?" Qin Ze asked.

"What else?"

"Then let’s make a deal, you can go in my stead and talk to him," Qin Ze said. "I imagine that an advertising spot in the Number One Player’s live streaming room must be quite valuable."

Some time after the start of the world game, people smelled a business opportunity.

...Since top-ranked players could live stream like celebrities, they naturally could do what celebrities did.

Things like interacting with popular top-ranked players, providing them with rare resources, and then having them do some advertising during their regular live streams had already become commonplace.

Although Main God Space transactions had to be made using Points and gifts of items were not permitted, with sending things in instances being too impractical, it was still possible to supply Adventurer Players with rare items that are difficult to purchase.

...While this practice of advertising hadn’t yet penetrated to the top ten players—after all, those at the top typically had their pride and would not stoop to advertising for some equipment or props just for the sake of it—this was simply because the price hadn’t been high enough.

Qin Ze was a typical businessman in his thinking, believing that as long as the benefits were sufficient, even the Number One Player could be persuaded to work for them.

...And then, as the words left his mouth, he saw Su Ming’an’s incredibly terrifying gaze.

"You want Su Ming’an to advertise for your trade?" Su Ming’an looked at him, her gaze growing increasingly grave.

"..." Qin Ze instinctively felt he had hit a nerve.

He watched the black-haired girl slowly rise from her chair, staring at him, a formidable presence about her.

Although both Qin Ze and Su Ming’an had chosen to stop playing after the end of the Second World and maintained their strength instead of having it reset by death, becoming Casual Players, Su Ming’an’s Combat Power was clearly a lot greater than Qin Ze’s. Even though the Main God Space didn’t permit physical confrontation, as she approached, a cold sweat broke out on Qin Ze’s back.

"Who is Su Ming’an?" Su Ming’an said, her voice exceedingly calm, each word spoken with a certainty as if this was an established fact: "He is the hope of the future, humanity’s Lighthouse, the Number One Player—he is someone everyone should look up to... He is my light, someone who should always stand at the very pinnacle of existence. Anyone should yield for his victory; anyone who uses him, who stands in his path, should die. Everyone should rally for him, not gain prestige because of him... And now, you’re telling me, you want him to do advertising for you, to rally for you?"

Qin Ze took a step back.

Su Ming’an took a step forward.

Facing this complicated child, she extended her hand, gripping his shoulder with a forceful grip.

Qin Ze’s face showed a pained expression, and he shook his hands frantically, "No, no! That’s not what I meant!"

He had long felt this woman was almost mad, and now it seemed she had indeed gone mad, disregarding almost everything for her "masterpiece". Like a girl deeply in love, yet with a madman’s fervor and obsession.

"Then what do you mean?" Su Ming’an looked at him, her fingers tightening gradually, like five steel hoops.

"I, I..." Qin Ze’s eyes darted about, deciding in his heart that he would definitely not come to see her personally again, while frantically trying to think of how to explain his earlier words...

Su Ming’an’s gaze darkened gradually.

"Ding-dong—!"

Right then, the clear sound of a system prompt burst in the ears of every Player.

Su Ming’an and Qin Ze both paused, and after exchanging a glance, Su Ming’an let go of her grip and displayed her system interface.

Qin Ze also hurried to rub his shoulder, retreating while opening his interface.

Then, they saw on their system interface a clearly marked red notice:

"...What are they doing?" Su Ming’an saw this kind of update notice for the first time. Although Main God Space updates happened occasionally, they were silent and unnoticed, such as the sudden appearance of trade service areas, CBD, and so on. Apart from the previous announcement about updates to the auction and arena, this was only the second time she saw such a clear broadcast to all players.

"Points progression bar? What’s that?" Su Ming’an muttered, and then she saw a red progression bar gradually emerging and then fading away in the bottom right of her field of vision.

And at that very moment, the World channel chats, which had been relaxedly discussing the plot, exploded in an instant.

Su Ming’an had a certain premonition.

She quickly focused on the somewhat transparent progression bar, watching as it became clearer.

A prompt popped up, and with it, a blood-red progression bar gradually emerged into view, its vivid color indicating a surge like a tide of fresh blood.