Rising to Power by Defeating the Boss in the Cyber Game

Chapter 2 The Lightless Sea 02

Wéi Xīn curled up in bed, staring at the glowing screen of her phone.

It was midnight, and she couldn't sleep.

Strange things had happened during the day, making her uneasy and unable to rest.

All day long, Wéi Xīn had been refreshing the forum, browsing posts from beta testers. She couldn't quite understand the foreign languages, so she took screenshots to translate using an app. However, her phone prohibited screenshotting web pages, so Wéi Xīn resorted to copying the letters onto paper and then taking pictures to translate them.

The forum's registration count was rising, as was the number of posts. Many people shared her confusion. Some had already begun questioning the "6 PM announcement for players" and the b****y statement of ten thousand surviving people at the top of the forum.

Beta testers had also started receiving that silver card, just like Wéi Xīn. None of them had filled out address information on the game's official website, yet the silver cards were accurately delivered to their residences.

Wéi Xīn clicked into the Chinese post with the highest number of replies.

OP: "Even in the age of big data where people have almost no privacy, isn't it too much for the game officials to do this? If the officials don't respond to the address acquisition issue, I don't mind taking legal action to protect my rights."

There was a chorus of agreement under this post.

But then someone replied: "I feel something's not right about this, it's like a haunting. I live in the countryside, where deliveries come once every few days. Can you guess how my game card was delivered? My cat inexplicably brought something back while out walking, and when I checked, it was my game card, with my real name and forum number written on it. It's absurd!"

24L: "I also live in the countryside, and I saw the card when I was gathering eggs at the chicken coop. It scared the hell out of me..."

36L: "I bought a home appliance online, and when I opened the packaging, there was an extra box inside. I initially thought it was a free gift from the seller, but it turned out to be the game card!"

This matter was not only absurd but also eerie.

The numbers were assigned according to the order of forum registration, and card production takes time. How could it be that immediately after registering, players received their cards? Moreover, the ways in which players received their cards were all different, shrouded in an inexplicable and eerie atmosphere that enveloped everyone.

Wéi Xīn exited the post and clicked on a card showcase post.

The OP masked their real name and player number on the card, then displayed it.

The card displayed by the OP was slightly different from Wéi Xīn's card.

The silver card in the post didn't have the mechanical hand pattern on the front; instead, it had an image of scissors, which looked sharp and imposing.

Wéi Xīn's card had the prefix "Usurper" as a title, but the OP's card had the prefix "Executor," not "Usurper."

Why was that? What was the difference between "Usurper" and "Executor"?

Wéi Xīn frowned in thought.

After browsing the forum for a while, Wéi Xīn noticed a pattern.

Currently, all the showcased cards had the prefix "Executor," and none of them were "Usurper" like hers.

Wéi Xīn reached out for her card from the bedside. The card emitted a shimmering silver light, with her real name and number engraved on it. It was like her identification card, with her name and ID number, but the only thing she couldn't figure out was the meaning of the three words "Usurper."

The events of the day left Wéi Xīn in a fog.

Glancing at the time, it was 23:59. In less than a minute, midnight would arrive, marking the official start of the closed beta. Wéi Xīn sighed, rubbing her temples wearily, preparing to sleep because she had to find a summer job tomorrow to earn money...

The life of a pauper was so plain and boring.

Just as Wéi Xīn was about to put down her phone, it suddenly vibrated. She focused on the screen and saw a forum announcement.

"Ten thousand beta testers have completed registration, and game identity cards have been issued."

"This closed beta is a free, non-deleting test. There are no shortcuts in the game. Please remember the six points of advice and explore your own ending."

"We wish all players a pleasant gaming experience. The game starts now."

The game starts?!

Wéi Xīn was caught off guard by this sentence. Before she could react, she noticed the scenery around her changing.

Wéi Xīn's hands were empty, and the weight of her phone disappeared from her hands. She wasn't lying on her side in bed anymore but standing in an endless darkness, unable to see anything when she looked up or hear any sound.

The old house with peeling walls disappeared, as did the windows lit by the dim light of street lamps and the whirring sound of the fan. Everything returned to silence.

The darkness engulfed Wéi Xīn like a tidal wave, swallowing her inch by inch. She tried to call for help subconsciously but couldn't make a sound, like a drowning person.

Finally, she lost consciousness.

...

"You have entered a new world."

"Please check your identity settings in this world."

"Name: Wéi Xīn

Faction: Federal Resistance Army

Identity: Core member of the Mechanical Dawn organization, apprentice patrol security officer of the Federal Investigation Department's seventh external team, top-level wanted criminal of the Federation, undercover agent of the resistance army.

Mission: Steal confidential information from the Investigation Department, gain the trust of the Investigation Department, and provide intelligence support for the secret operations of Mechanical Dawn."

Vague electronic sounds echoed in her ears, and in a daze, she seemed to see rows of text flashing before her eyes...

Wéi Xīn gasped in pain, feeling like her head was about to explode.

As if an axe had split open her skull, the pain was unbearable.

"Suture needle." A man beside her said, "Stitch up her wounds. Give her another dose of special analgesics; she can't hold on much longer."

Was she on the operating table? Wéi Xīn couldn't open her eyes, but unexpectedly, her consciousness remained clear.

Wéi Xīn felt a sharp needle pierce her arm's skin, and the medicine entered her body. The painkiller worked very effectively, and her headache eased considerably.

She wasn't dreaming; no dream could give her such a clear feeling.

Wéi Xīn understood that her current situation was absolutely abnormal, violating common sense. Perhaps she had encountered a situation that only appeared in fantasy novels or movies—a time-space crossing.

She had crossed over to an unknown location from her shabby little nest.

The painkiller from the injection just now relieved Wéi Xīn's physical pain, allowing her to focus on thinking. She was anxious and panicked, but these emotions wouldn't help her. She knew she had to calm down.

The closed beta forum of "Deep Red Soil" announced the start of the game, and she suddenly jumped to another location.

Wéi Xīn speculated that she had crossed into the game world of "Deep Red Soil."

She had another identity in this world.

Wéi Xīn concentrated, and suddenly, the pitch-black vision abruptly unfolded into a light screen.

The screen displayed her identity settings in this world that she had just heard.

— "Core member of the Mechanical Dawn organization, apprentice patrol security officer of the Federal Investigation Department's seventh external team, top-level wanted criminal of the Federation, undercover agent of the resistance army."

Wéi Xīn: Ah, this... my identity seems quite complex.

She read it over and over meticulously, feeling at a loss.

She didn't understand what the Mechanical Dawn organization was, but terms like "core member" were weighty enough. And the Federal Investigation Department... that should be an official organization. What's even more damning was she still had another identity level, a top-level wanted criminal of the Federation. What in the hell?She didn't understand what the Mechanical Dawn organization was, but terms like "core member" were weighty enough. And the Federal Investigation Department... that should be an official organization. What's even more damning was she still had another identity level, a top-level wanted criminal of the Federation. What in the hell? Being a top-level wanted criminal didn't bode well for her future. She had seen countless spy movies, and undercover agents rarely had good endings. She felt her future was bleak, with a tragic outcome beckoning her. The sound of medical instruments clashing continued, and Wéi Xīn could vaguely sense the stitching needle piercing and pulling through her flesh. Wéi Xīn's heartbeat gradually stabilized from the initial intense recovery, her brain turning as her emotions tended to calm in her thoughts.