Chapter Two: The Chosen 'Player
"Oh my god—what a joke! Where is this place?"
"What just happened to me...? Why did my boss suddenly attempt to poison me, yet now it seems I'm not dead..."
"Me too. I was just at school, and then suddenly my teacher came at me with a knife... I barely managed to stab him, then I heard something about 'level completed,' and now I'm suddenly here..."
"Mass transference? Or some kind of alien game?"
"Damn it, I had just finished that damn project yesterday, and the client had just said they were satisfied, then it alerted 'game begins'..."
"Mom, where are you, mom..."
Su Ming'an opened his eyes.
All around him were people's shouts, blending together in various languages. He tried to move slightly but found himself surrounded by people.
After hearing the prompt and being enveloped by white light, he saw an almost boundless square.
People like him stood on the square, one after another, stretching as far as the eye could see, a dense crowd of various races. The vast square was packed with a sea of people, seemingly on the verge of causing a stampede.
As beams of light appeared one after another, person after person appeared on the square, gradually filling up any empty spots.
...Is this the so-called World Game initiation ceremony?
So, what he had just experienced was indeed a selective beginner's level?
Su Ming'an, enduring the noise around him, continued to think. Suddenly, at the edge of his vision, he saw a beam of blood-red light.
In the sky above the vast sea of people, a giant white rabbit appeared.
At nearly three meters tall, the rabbit was grotesquely large, its blood-red eyes adding a touch of eeriness. Its huge limbs hung by its side, and on its chest was a large scale pattern that also seemed to be twisting.
At the moment it appeared, he felt an invisible constraint suddenly bind him. The next moment, he found himself unable to move, and so did everyone else; their voices suddenly stopped, as if a silencing and immobilizing curse had been placed on everyone.
"—Ooh—! Everyone has arrived—!"
The blood-red, eerie rabbit, casting a giant-like reflection, overshadowed everyone under its terrifying gaze.
"Let me count… um, one, two, three, ten thousand, a million, ten million… one billion! Good, the numbers are correct!"
It laughed, its cotton-candy-like arms flailing about, emitting an extremely joyful cry:
"—Welcome everyone, to our World Game!"
Then, the sky lit up with bursts of red and blue lights, and a plethora of fireworks scattered down, showering the immobile crowd with streamers.
All eyes, mostly filled with fear, were cast upon it, puzzled, perplexed, terrified...
They had been living their regular lives, studying, working… and then had been suddenly pulled into a beginner's instance by the alert, having gone through an unimaginable level completion process, and then forcibly transported here.
Facing such a scenario that far exceeded the human understanding of the scientific world, everyone was in fear of the unknown.
After all, the scene before them was too bizarre.
Su Ming'an steadied his mind.
It seems this rabbit is the organizer or perhaps a presenter of this game…?
He wasn't feeling particularly frightened, being a horror game streamer, and a fan of bizarre games; this scenario, far beyond his everyday life, opened a new window for him.
The beginner's instance earlier was very interesting. Combining it with the system prompts, he felt the game worlds to come would be even more spectacular.
"Hello everyone! Before introducing everything, let me introduce myself—You can call me Boss Rabbit! I am honored to be the overall organizer of this game—in your words, call me… GM (Game Master/System)!"
The rabbit spread its arms, a broad smile on its face.
The pitch of its voice fluctuated up and down, echoing in every direction, giving an uncomfortable pulsing sensation.
"It's September 30, 2020, 3 PM now, and three hours ago, the World Game's personal beginner instance officially began!"
"The members participating are volunteers from the human race of Philarel! Congratulations to those selected, you now have the opportunity to change your destinies! To become participants in the game, travelers shuttling through various otherworlds!"
It shouted excitedly.
Meanwhile, light screens lit up across the square.
—That was a scene from Philarel. In the lower right-hand corner was a time stamp, exactly three hours ago.
The bustling city with its streets, pedestrians walking along the roadsides, farmers working in the fields... their smooth movements, at the moment the clock pointed to twelve, instantly paused.
Su Ming'an saw himself among them, standing up to leave the coffee shop.
The moment he stepped out of the coffee shop, the figure of him putting on his coat paused at the doorway.
"The time on Philarel has been permanently stopped at this moment!"
The rabbit's voice continued, its tone gradually becoming more impassioned—
"One billion 'selected' human beings—"
…
[Welcome, you who now control your own destinies, as you officially enter—the World Game!]
...
"The recent solo instance, I believe, has been experienced by every player—tailored uniquely for each player by the great game organizers!" it exclaimed excitedly.
Su Ming'an's eyes flickered with understanding—indeed, everyone's experience was different. At the same moment, one billion players had been thrust into different instances.
The one he faced was just a simulated instance with only him as the player, and after he completed it, that instance ended.
Shen Xue and that sister Anna... weren't real people, but were instead disguises based on familiar faces to test him... He knew something was off when Shen Xue suddenly attacked him; it turned out to be fake, part of the game instance.
The beginner instances for others might involve sudden poisoning by a boss, betrayal by a family member, or facing a car accident... such unforeseeable attacks.
The rabbit's voice grew particularly intense, echoing round and round in the quiet massive square.
People of different races and skin colors stared with their eyes wide open, filled with bewilderment and shock.
"To balance the game, elderly players have been reverted to their prime! Also, disabled players have received corresponding compensations!"
"Our game, involves plunging you players into various other game worlds. As long as you complete the missions assigned, you can earn points that can be exchanged for miraculous items!"
… Oh.
It was nearly what Su Ming'an had guessed, there would be one world after another for players to participate in and complete tasks.
So, these selected one billion people had become travelers shuttling through various otherworlds?
Master Rabbit continued:
"Furthermore, dying in the game world does not equate to actual death!
Dead players can watch others continue the adventure, and after a certain viewing period, they can erase all previous abilities and start the adventure anew!
Of course, dead players can also choose to watch as spectators, no longer participating in the adventure.
Players currently adventuring can get extra bonuses if they go live!
This rule somewhat surprised Su Ming'an.
If it was just to motivate players to explore other worlds, there was no need for such a rule…
In the game, there were combatting players as well as casual players. There were front liners and support roles.
"The World Game, for one year!" Master Rabbit extended its fluffy hand:
"At which time, players will be ranked according to points to determine what you can bring back to Philarel.
… During the game, time in Philarel has been frozen at the moment the beginner level started, until the end of the World Game!
Simultaneously, if the overall total points of all players are too low, then—total eradication! The higher an individual player's points, the greater the influence!
—As for the final outcome of all players…"
Its blood-red eyes formed crescent moons, lines severely twisted:
"… Take control yourselves?"
The next moment, everyone discovered they had regained the ability to speak.
"—Who are you people!"
"Oh God, just send me back! Are you kidding me!"
"To become tools for others' amusement… What a disgrace…"
There were those who cried and begged for mercy, terrified of the unknown.
But there were also those eager to break the usual rules.
"I've long since wanted to skip school, the legendary Main God Space… Just what I wanted!"
"Survival of the fittest, elimination of the weak…"
"There's even live streaming? Damn, live streaming the invasion of the world?"
"Sister, I'm scared…" A plainly dressed little boy clutched the skirt of a long-haired woman.
"Don't be afraid… Little Ruohuo isn't scared…" The woman stroked his head, her own hand trembling: "We must strive till the end… to resurrect your big brother…"
Still clad in military uniform, a resolute-faced man lifted his calm eyes from the chaotic crowd.
A girl with a noose around her neck, as if wearing a necklace, tightly grasped her own necklace.
A blond mixed-race youth with mechanical joints on his wrist looked up:
"The truth of the world… can it be…" he muttered.
"—Next, I will announce the details of the beginner level for all players!"
Yet Master Rabbit cared not the slightest for the clamor below, as if unheard, its voice thundering, still echoing endlessly:
[The first beginner level, with no spatial props to rely on, relies entirely on individual physical ability and instinct in combat!
Participants: 1,114,279,878!]
[Among them, A-level ratings: 16,527 people, S-level ratings: 1,270 people, SS-level ratings — 1 person!]
The rabbit's voice was particularly impassioned, and it screamed out the numbers even more shrilly.
Su Ming'an's heart lurched.
He understood that with the difficulty of the novice level, it was impossible for him to have cleared it unscathed. A greater possibility was that he would have fallen right at Shen Xue's initial level.
According to the difficulty of having a save-point mechanism, he should not have been the first player...
Could it be that this death save skill... was unique to him?
People also looked up, their eyes filled with bewilderment.
"—Let us now invite the first person to achieve an SS-level rating! Please give him a speech, a round of applause, welcome!!"
No one responded.
The rabbit clapped "pat pat pat" to itself, seeming quite satisfied.
"Bang."
A beam of light shone on Su Ming'an, isolating him from everyone else.
He looked around in astonishment at the isolated surroundings; the next moment, he felt himself being pulled by an invisible force, rising higher and higher as if drawn by that light—
The Main God Space had not driven him to a dead end, and at the moment when all eyes converged on him, a pure white mask appeared on his face, and his form became extremely vague. This wouldn't expose himself in latter missions.
"Oh my, the first top player from Zhai Xing really seems extraordinary!
—The extraordinary first! Please share your thoughts about the other players' achievements! Don't worry, it's simultaneous translation, there's no problem with language communication!"
The rabbit handed him the blood-red microphone.
And Su Ming'an looked downward.
An endless square, boundless distance, countless people, a dense mass, countless eyes gleaming with light, at this moment, all associated with him.
The weight of a world, gathered here.
He took the microphone.
"The World Game… the legendary Main God Space," he said.
His voice was very steady, encrypted in a way that people could not discern his true thoughts.
"Although it may seem absurd to tie the fate of all humanity to a judgment known as a game," Su Ming'an continued, "but victory or retreat, the paths of life… for us, have always been divided into different crossroads, and at each crossroads, there are only these two options.
At this moment, all people are fellow travelers on the giant ship named [Zhai Xing].
Even if far from home, humans always love their homeland.
Since we cannot escape this space, which far surpasses our imagination and technological level…
Why not consider it our reality choice, in a circle drawn by high-dimensional beings, and give it our all…
—to find that piece of land that belongs to us."
He did not feel nervous.
Being a part-time streamer, public speaking was easy for him.
Although this was a public speech before billions of humans… he also did not know what he was saying.
But he had a premonition.
…It seemed that this appearance before all of humanity would only be a beginning.
As the Strongest Player who started off with the ability to rewind death, he might be able to last till the end.
Mission urges one to cut through thorns.
He might yet face so many more gazes.
"—Well spoken!"
"Pat pat pat," the rabbit clapped furiously, its voice notably loud over the deathly silence of the crowd below, particularly ridiculous and clear as it continued clapping and pretended to be moved, exaggerating its motions:
"Deserving of the first place, just as it should be! Enjoy life, enjoy—the World Game!"
Su Ming'an felt himself being lowered, still retaining his disguise, as people around him cast surprised looks.
The psychology of xenophobia always exists among humans.
But if one reaches high enough…
"Today's welcome event—ends here! Woo—!"
"Now everyone will shuttle together, collectively entering our first Apocalyptic World!"
Daylight broke, and the red-purple radiance momentarily dazzled everyone's eyes. With a clap of its paws, the white rabbit scattered blood-red light across the sky, enveloping countless people in an instant—
[——Best wishes to everyone.]
[May the game—be enjoyable!]
...
After a flash of white light, Su Ming'an found himself in a small personal space.
Thanks to an inexplicable death-reset skill, he was now among the top-performing players out of the billion Zhai Xing players, which might help him progress further.
For an ordinary college student, that was indeed putting him on a high pedestal.
... A year after the world game ended, rankings were determined by position. The higher the points, the greater the weight they carried.
If he maintained such a height, the gaze he attracted would grow heavier and heavier—
The gaze of over a billion people.
A game for high-dimensional beings, truly real and ironic.
The world chat channel was filled with chaos and confusion, with cursing and bewildered remarks filling the bottom left of the chat channel:
[Shen Yan lv1: What a joke, am I still dreaming?]
[Wang Feifei lv1: The first game world is the apocalypse?! Are we supposed to collectively fight zombies or face natural disasters like floods and earthquakes? I don't want to die!]
[Wang Yongjian lv1: Looking for team buddies, long-term partners, add my number CD8928!]
[Yanzi lv1: Mom, Mom, can you see me? I'm little Yanzi! Mom, were you chosen too?]
[Yu Ruohuo lv1: Everyone, don't panic, I've posted necessities for the apocalyptic world on the forum, hoping to help our brethren.]
[Yang Changxu lv1: I am a soldier from Dragon Country, if I meet brethren in the game instances, I will ensure their safety first. Please do not fear, we'll definitely survive!]
[Philarel lv.1: Are people from Dragon Country so responsible? In such situations, better to worry about your own life first, rather than getting killed…]
...
In the open global forum, all kinds of wild characters thronged the scene, with bold predictions about the apocalypse, claims that non-believers will definitely die, calls for brethren to stabilize their emotions and adapt, and even claims of ruling the world game and becoming the dominant player.
At present, the pessimistic remarks seemed much more profound than the optimistic ones.
Pessimistic remarks complained and analyzed humanity's future, while optimistic remarks simply stated, "This too shall pass."
Humans have always been adept at looking to the future, envisaging tomorrow, and then repeating the same mistakes, drifting through the epochs.
Human history is a notebook filled with bad mouthing human nature. And a game that appeared so abruptly might make them realize some brand new, previously unconsidered content.
Su Ming'an didn't pay much attention to the forums, instead, he checked his own status, waiting for the apocalyptic world to begin.
Finally, the second hand on the crystal ball moved bit by bit to zero.
[First World: Apocalyptic World. A global simultaneous survival game.]
[Plot hint: "—Redemption is born upon sacrifice, and before the greater good, people rejoice in a brighter future."
"As the little girl of original sin, she bestowed upon humanity the most tolerant of revenges."]
[There are two possible routes to complete this world (Peaceful Path, Forceful Path) and three different world endings]
[Players, seize every choice, follow every clue—until the secrets hidden beyond the apocalypse are discovered.]
[The Apocalyptic World will be copied into fifty thousand identical worlds, each world engaging around twenty thousand players in the game!]
[——The world begins!]
After a flash of white light, Su Ming'an closed his eyes.
...
[Welcome to the World Game, Level One, the Apocalyptic World—Once the world starts, you may use points to buy skills and props]
...
"—Is this a squad system? Who are you guys? Were you all dragged in by that damned organizer?" A gruff male voice came through:
"We need to survive together now, right? Although being a spectator would spare us from risks, I sure don't want to end up with insufficient points and have humanity wiped out…"
Su Ming'an opened his eyes, hearing the faint sound of droplets near his ears.
In his field of vision, the upper left corner showed a green health bar of 500/500, a blue mana bar of 140/140, and the upper right corner had a barrage screen, displaying popularity, which was still blank as all players were in the game.
He could open his backpack interface with a thought, which currently was also blank.
"Damn, why are we locked up right from the start?" The burly man ran to the iron bars holding the bars and cursed.
Their current predicament had them in a cell-like room, the walls full of lime traces, and the bars still held a scent of blood.
...It certainly didn't seem like a very good start.