Chapter 533: The Players' Ruthless Methods
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 533: The Players' Ruthless Methods
"Are these the Transcendents of this world? They're so weak; even firearms can take them down."
Inside a factory, a figure moved between massive pieces of industrial equipment. He walked over leisurely and kicked a body that was already unable to move, his tone laced with arrogance.
"Don't underestimate this world's Transcendent organizations. Also, you shutting down this factory's normal operations and chasing away the workers is going to attract their attention!" another figure, currently busy elsewhere, called out in warning.
"This is the first time my starting identity has been a small factory owner. The Terminal of Myriad Worlds is finally acting like a human for once. I remember last time I spawned as a beggar—a total hell-mode start. I was so pissed I wanted to reroll on the spot," the first man remarked, spreading his hands. Though, for high-level players like them, their starting identity didn't make much of a difference.
"Besides, I saw those workers huffing and puffing, working so hard. What's wrong with giving them a vacation? If they didn't leave, how could this place become our base?"
"I have no idea how someone like you was chosen by the Terminal of Myriad Worlds to be a Vanguard Pioneer."
"Is that even a question? Strength, obviously! Anyway, you tech guys—have you finished the language synchronization for this world yet?" the young man asked impatiently.
As "players" of the game world—specifically, players powerful enough to be selected by the Terminal of Myriad Worlds as Vanguard Pioneers—they were all elite. They had already bypassed the cognitive barriers of bottom-layer players and possessed information access rights nearly equal to those of a "Game Architect."
Thus, they knew very well that they weren't playing a game, yet it was a game. The world they were in wasn't a game world, but a real world beyond their own.
As Vanguard Pioneers, the first batch designated to descend upon this world, they needed to gather information for their own world and provide data to the Terminal of Myriad Worlds.
This included the Language Integration Package.
Technical players like him dreaded worlds that weren't unified. If a single region had its own language, and the world had dozens or hundreds in total, they could only curse their bad luck as their workload doubled.
Of course, the qualifications for the first batch of Vanguard Pioneers were extremely rare, and the benefits were substantial. But behind high rewards lay high risks.
If they failed to meet their mandatory mission quotas, their personal rating within the Terminal of Myriad Worlds would drop. Future opportunities to pioneer new worlds or gain entry to other worlds would be restricted.
Therefore, as the first batch of players, their primary objective was to collect information. Their second... was to collect Luck.
In their world, it wasn't called Luck; it was called "Game Qualification," a precious resource.
This resource usually resided within certain individuals or groups in this world. They had to find ways to obtain these rare Game Qualification resources, which could even be used to offset a failed Vanguard Pioneer mission.
As for the Soul Essence resources that players usually gathered, they didn't need to actively seek them out yet, lest they lose sight of their main goals. Once the mass of players descended, that would be the time to harvest Soul Essence.
"Phew... luckily, this world seems to have achieved unification early. There's only one Common Language, which greatly reduced the workload. The trial version has been uploaded to the Terminal for integration. Next is just constant optimization, but that's not my job anymore." Having finished his task, the technical player began packing his things.
"Hey, wait. You're packing up to log off already?"
"No, you idiot. We've been discovered. I'm leaving. I don't want to be buried here with you. Besides, since you're the combat specialist, you're obligated to protect me and buy me some time so I can escape."
"Wait, you're just running? What about these guys I captured? Do you know how much effort I put into bringing them here alive?"
"I never asked you to capture them. The information in their heads isn't even as much as what I gathered online. You're just looking for trouble." As he spoke, he finished consolidating his equipment. A fist-sized, solid-colored pixel block appeared in his hand, then vanished. Immediately after, a vehicle appeared beside him.
"I'm looking for trouble... Holy shit! A limited-edition Pioneer Cruiser Motorcycle? And it's modified? You're using a collector's item for modifications? Take me with you!"
"I don't take passengers."
"Then I'll hold off the newcomers for you, but you have to let me play with that later!"
"We'll see—if you're still alive to meet me again," the man said coldly. A helmet materialized in his hand. As he put it on, a wave of mosaic-like pixel blocks covered his body, and a professional motorcycle suit replaced his clothes. Clearly, it was part of the same set as the bike.
Seeing the figure leave, the combat player dropped his casual act, his expression turning cold.
A Stealth Modification Module to hide his form and a Silent Module... the guy was clearly an expert at running away.
After the other man left, the combat player spat on the ground. Acting all cold and aloof, yet in the end, he still had to flee to ensure his Game Qualification wasn't revoked.
However, the other man's brief display of gear had shown his depth. The combat player knew he wasn't someone to be trifled with.
He only acted like a hothead; he wasn't stupid. Otherwise, he wouldn't have cooperated with someone with that attitude in the first place. It was better that the guy left early.
Now that he was gone, the combat player had no more reservations. He wanted to turn this factory into a massive "gift," a grand surprise for those Transcendents.
He didn't believe the Transcendents of this world were truly that weak. He needed to draw out the old-timers.
At the very least, he needed to test the waters and understand their general power level. Only then could he gauge his future actions. If he knew nothing and ended up getting himself killed, it wouldn't be worth it.
His next task was to rig this place into a massive trap and wait for the Transcendents to come knocking.
He admitted this was his best starting position yet, but that didn't mean he cared about this factory. He had seen too many worlds fall; what was one factory?
Turning this place into a graveyard for a group of Transcendents might actually increase its value significantly.
However, it was clear that the previous guy had left in such a hurry because time was running out. Before he could even finish setting all the explosives, there was movement outside.
Or rather, even if those people made no sound, the mini-map in his Game Vision had already marked the newcomers. As a Vanguard Pioneer, the Terminal of Myriad Worlds naturally provided the best standard functions, though it wouldn't just hand out top-tier gear. Things like weapons, equipment, vehicles, and special effects were things he had to earn, providing the motivation to voluntarily explore new worlds.
Hiding in the shadows, he watched the men and women walking in so openly, and he couldn't help but frown. How did these people even find him?
They had absolutely no sense of danger, acting as if they were on a casual field trip.
Just as he pulled out a gun to pick one of them off, the target seemed to sense something and immediately went on high alert.
"What's this? A sixth sense?" He pursed his lips and put the firearm away. It seemed this group wasn't going to be easy.
Their intuition for danger was remarkably high.
"Who's there! Come out, I know you're in here..."
"I see you! Give up! We are..."
"Hey, look! Are those the kidnapped people?" While one of them was shouting to try and bait him out, her teammate made a discovery, pointing at the figures on the ground in the distance.
Because the factory was dim, they couldn't see clearly, but they could distinguish several human silhouettes.
Still, they approached cautiously.
In the shadows, the player adjusted his mindset. He had seen many worlds and many power systems. Because systems differed, they tended to lean toward different strengths—combat power, insight, or pure destructive force. He quickly accepted this setting; he would just treat it like a game.
He didn't take the risk of going out to taunt them. Instead, he waited for the perfect moment to send these fools and this little factory to the heavens!
The explosives he had rigged were densely packed around the area where the captives were held. The yield was enough to wipe them all out.
Leaving a hidden camera behind, he quietly slipped away. He didn't want to be caught in his own blast.
After all, they hadn't found the specific individuals carrying Game Qualifications yet, so he couldn't afford to lose this life.
"Careful, don't rush over there. Watch for an ambush!"
"It's fine, I have a Protection Spell. I'll go check on them first."
"You!" Seeing how reckless the other was, the leader didn't stop them but became even more vigilant, watching the surroundings for a sneak attack.
But as the minutes ticked by, no danger appeared. The person who had rushed ahead had already freed several of the bound captives.
"It's okay. It looks like they fled early. There are still fresh tracks left behind."
"Have you confirmed the suspect's identity?"
"It seems to be the owner of this factory. It's strange... he doesn't seem like someone who could access Transcendent power, and his family has no history with it either."
With the hostages rescued, the raid seemed to have ended with anticlimactic success.
Next, they just needed to send them back to their respective academies.
Of course, if any insisted on going home, they wouldn't stop them. But if they were kidnapped again, it might not be so easy to save them next time.
"Hmm? Wait, what's this?" Just as the group was about to "pop the champagne" and head back, a senior student who had been patrolling the factory discovered a strange object in a corner.
Once he noticed it, he suddenly found similar devices in several other hidden spots.
"What did you find?"
Just as the others moved to see what he had discovered, the student who found the strange creation suddenly felt a crushing sense of threat from it. He realized something was horribly wrong!
"Run! Danger! Get out now!" he screamed at the top of his lungs the moment he reacted. He shoved the object in front of him into his storage equipment, then ripped the storage ring off his finger and hurled it as far as he could.
But it was too late. The number of explosives far exceeded that one location.
BOOM—!
A terrifying explosion, carrying rolling waves of heat, swept through the entire factory. The massive shockwave completely obliterated every piece of equipment.
A small mushroom cloud rose from the ground, making the earth tremble. Dust billowed into the air, only to be scattered into the distance by the following shockwave.
The junior students at the center of the blast were instantly vaporized, turned to ash.
Only a few senior students remained, but they were a bloody mess. Even their Protection Spells had been shattered. The high temperatures and horrific shockwave had destroyed most of their bodies, leaving only the Undying trait brought by their high Life Level to keep them clinging to a final thread of life.
In the distance, the player watched his monitor go black. Then, a terrifying sonic boom roared past him from behind, making his eardrums ache.
He sped away on his vehicle. The commotion from this explosion was too massive; it wouldn't be long before a crowd gathered. It looked like he would need to use an item to change his appearance.
As he thought this, the images of those people flashed in his mind. He shook his head. These Transcendents were far too naive!
Back at the factory, which had been leveled to the ground, the survivors used their last ounce of strength to fumble through their storage equipment. They desperately searched for anything that could heal their near-fatal wounds. Without potions or similar aids, no matter how terrifying their Undying trait was, they couldn't grow flesh out of thin air.
As their wounds slowly began to knit back together, one of them let out a roar of indignant rage, even though his vocal cords hadn't fully reconstructed!
They had nearly died on this mission!
But that wasn't the most important thing. Their Undying trait had saved their lives, but... those hostages they had just rescued, those students... they were all junior brothers and sisters who had just begun to touch Transcendent power. They were barely adults!
To watch them die before their eyes while being unable to even save themselves—the pain was beyond words.
As senior students, they had been on many missions, but they had never encountered a Transcendent criminal so blatant, so utterly disregardful of human life...
And the enemy possessed such terrifying explosives!
"I won't accept this! Those bastards... those bastards! I'm going to slaughter them all!"
"Let's go... back to the Academy. This is clearly not something we can handle anymore," the one who remained rational urged, struggling to stand.
"I'm not leaving! That guy must be nearby right now, laughing at us! I'm going to find him..."
"I understand how you feel, but do you really think you're invincible? Do you want others to go through what we just did? Go back! Report this!"
"Then what about these juniors? Is the Resurrection Spell still effective for them?"
"I don't know, but... sigh... let's collect their remains first and ask the mentors back at the Academy..."
As these heavy, realistic problems weighed on their nerves, time ticked by, yet it could not soothe their souls in the slightest.
The commotion naturally drew the attention of those nearby. Other Transcendents arrived to investigate, but they couldn't help but gasp at the sight of such carnage.
The destruction was absolute. Fortunately, some of the arrivals were students from the Academy, and with their help, the severely injured survivors were brought back to their respective schools.
This explosion completely ignited the fury of the Transcendent Academies, drawing the attention of even more students who had remained on campus.
This wasn't just kidnapping; it was kidnapping followed by a massacre!
Furthermore, the explosion was so horrific it had shocked the entire world.
Even senior students could only rely on their Undying trait to survive. Such a terrifying, planned, and premeditated terrorist action against Transcendents was a direct provocation!
Simultaneously with this sensational event, another piece of news exploded across the internet and within the various Transcendent Academies.
Above the Horasso Swamp, one of the world's largest wetland scenic areas, a rift had suddenly appeared, tearing through the sky. The abnormal spatial phenomenon had already severely impacted the local ecology. If left unaddressed, it would likely disrupt the migration of migratory birds.
The Main World was visibly descending into chaos.