D-9341's Dominance

Congratulations on unlocking the new achievement 'Shy Person'!

Congratulations on unlocking the new achievement 'Strange Space'!

In the Pitch Black, two achievement unlock notifications popped up in the lower right corner of the game.

This helped calm Xin Xin, who was breathing heavily, down a bit.

Am I dead?

"He's not dead, is he? Why hasn't the death record popped up yet?"

The black screen has been going on for a while now.

This made her a little impatient.

Just at the last moment, that tall, thin monster suddenly rushed in, scaring her so much that she screamed, "Holy crap!"

Just as she was preparing to accept the fate of having to reload her save, a hand suddenly reached out from the Pitch Black substance beneath her feet and dragged her into the black substance just as the tall, thin monster was about to grab her.

This caused her perspective to suddenly drop downwards, and the game screen went black for a moment.

Even now, she is still somewhat shaken, and her throat is churning.

The feeling of being located and hunted down for thousands of miles, waiting to die, is something Xin Xin never wants to experience again.

"Am I being dragged into this black mud now? Shouldn't I be dead?"

Xin Xin wiped the sweat from her forehead, which had broken out due to nervousness, and muttered to herself as she waited for the game screen to appear.

"Brothers, were you scared just now? That monster, and that terrifying mouth, how did it feel?"

Xin Xin asked a question casually, and immediately, the viewers in the live broadcast room picked up their keyboards to express their thoughts.

"Holy crap, this monster's mouth goes all the way up to my chest when it opens! I've never been scared by a mouth like this before!"

"This monster is really awesome. It's rampaging around and guns are useless. I don't even know how to shoot it."

"He looked tall and thin, so I thought he was weak. But damn it, he slapped a security guard to pieces!"

"You should have seen the monster's strength. It knocked over the thick metal door of the monitoring room like a wooden board. That's awesome."

"How did this monster locate Xin Xin? It only glanced at the surveillance footage, and it already knew her location?"

"I guess it's some kind of mechanism. This monster is quite unique. It howls before attacking, and it looks like it's in great pain, clutching its head. Is there any purpose to this action?"

As the discussion in the live stream continued, Xin Xin took a sip of water.

Just then, a voice came through the Bluetooth headset that came with the VR headset.

But this voice was not gentle.

[Get up! You're a D-grade!]

Immediately afterwards, the sound of someone kicking flesh was heard.

Clearly, the speaker was kicking someone.

And the one who got kicked was the main character!

Because after the kick, the game screen opened slightly, as if the eyes were being opened.

Xin Xin immediately shouted excitedly.

"Holy crap, I'm not dead!? No way? I was clearly dragged into that black mud, how could I not be dead!?"

As she exclaimed in surprise, the game screen became increasingly clear.

Soon they saw a man and a woman standing in front of them.

The man was fully armed, around 30 years old, and clearly a security guard because he was carrying a gun.

The woman was wearing a white lab coat and appeared to be around 20 years old; she was undoubtedly a researcher.

At that moment, the two men were looking down at him.

The man even pointed his rifle at him, as if he were ready to fire at the slightest provocation.

[You can't get up, huh? Want me to serve you this?]

The gun barrel was pressed against the protagonist's head.

From a first-person perspective, Xin Xin couldn't help but feel worried for the protagonist.

They say that those who survive a great calamity are destined for good fortune. As the protagonist, I hope you don't die before your good fortune arrives.

From playing the game until now, Xin Xin has become very clear that the so-called D-Class Personnel are nothing more than low-status, humanoid experimental subjects with no human rights.

Security personnel and researchers are essentially the mortal enemies of D-Class Personnel.

To encounter them here by sheer chance, one can only say the protagonist is unlucky.

Just as Xin Xin was watching what was going to happen, the game suddenly switched to a first-person, real-time rendered animation.

The game's protagonist then did something that made her eyes widen.

He scoffed dismissively and slowly stood up.

The security guards and researchers in front of them exchanged puzzled glances.

[why are you laughing?]

The security guard yelled, and the gun was once again pointed at the protagonist's head.

The game's protagonist, on the other hand, kept sneering.

In front of the security guards, he gently pinched the muzzle of the gun with his index finger and thumb and slowly moved it away.

At the same time, he spoke in a flat, cold tone.

[With your heart pounding, your breathing rapid and erratic, and your cheeks covered in cold sweat, you must have experienced something very thrilling, right?]

Look here, nine passages, but only one way out. If you want to leave, put down your superior attitude and cooperate with me.

As soon as he finished speaking, the perspective shifted, and the protagonist turned his head to look around at his surroundings.

Xin Xin took this opportunity to see where she was, and immediately opened her mouth wide in shock.

"My God! What kind of place is this?"

This is a small, circular stone space.

Everywhere you look, there are whitewashed walls.

Underground, dust filled the air.

A faint light shines from above.

The cramped and cold space gives people a suffocating and oppressive feeling.

Meanwhile, this circular space is evenly distributed with nine Pitch Black, dense passages leading to unknown destinations, surrounding the person.

Each road can only accommodate one person at a time.

It gives people a sense of hesitation, as if there are roads everywhere, yet it makes it difficult to move an inch.

[Want to collaborate with you?]

The security guard looked disdainful.

[You're right, we do need your cooperation. Go ahead and scout the way for us, and I'll spare your life.]

As he spoke, he once again aimed the gun at the protagonist's head.

His eyes were filled with the look of utter contempt for trash.

For a moment, Xin Xin couldn't help but admire the professionalism of the face model actors.

However, in the game, the protagonist remains calm and composed in the face of this.

He seemed used to this kind of scene, gripping the gun barrel again and slowly moving it away.

[I don't want to repeat myself. Either shoot, or cooperate with me. I don't want to waste time on nonsense. The Pocket Dimension in A-FBC-0106 affects our perception and sense of time. Staying here long enough will bring unexpected surprises.]

[Judging from your current state, you've probably already gone through that. How was it? Was it fun?]

The security personnel were stunned for a moment after hearing this.

In Xin Xin's eyes, he was gripping the gun tightly, his expression wavering.

He glanced at the game's protagonist while looking at the young female researcher beside him, lost in thought.

[How do you know this place is called ' Pocket Dimension '? And how do you know that only one of these nine passages is the correct exit? Who told you that?]

At this moment, the female researcher stood still, tossed her hair, frowned, and asked.

But her words elicited a cold response from the game's protagonist.

This is my third time coming in.

What!?

Xin Xin was taken aback.

She knew the protagonist had precognitive insight, after all, he had experienced over 1000 deaths.

Therefore, based on this strange space and the protagonist's earlier comments when witnessing the two security guards' fate, she could guess that the protagonist had been here before.

But what she didn't expect was that she had actually come twice!

And they escaped both times!?

This means that the protagonist knows what this anomaly that creates the black substance is!?

The female researcher's eye twitched upon hearing this, seemingly not believing what the protagonist was saying.

Why should we believe you? We will only confirm results through experiments before we have any evidence.

The protagonist scoffed again.

[You're right, I respect your choice. However, once you enter these passages, whether you go forward or back, you'll end up in a completely new, repeating space. So, you'd better abandon the idea of having me scout ahead. Since you're not cooperating, it's none of my business if you rot here.]

Xin Xin's eyes widened at the words of the game's protagonist.

"My god, he's so powerful and cool! I love this kind of domineering protagonist!"

After hearing what Xin Xin said, the fans in the live stream also left comments.

"You really dare to say that, my protagonist. Aren't you afraid someone will shoot you dead? Even though you can reload saves, you're still a D-rank. Status determines your right to speak."

"To be honest, I rarely see protagonists with such a strong personality these days. No, I mean, you almost never see them in games nowadays."

"Indeed, many protagonists are mostly just tools, especially in FPS and RPG games, where it's most obvious. In these two types of games, the protagonist basically just works hard without complaint, and never has any opinions of their own."

"It's rare to see such a powerful protagonist in ' Control Failure,' but that makes sense. The protagonist has been resurrected more than 1,000 times during this riot, so his mentality and knowledge far surpass those of others. He probably doesn't even care about a mere gun."

At this moment, in the game.

The female researcher fell silent, biting her lower lip as if deep in thought.

She quickly looked up and asked nervously.

[In that case, how would you like to collaborate?]

The game's protagonist smiled gently.

[It's simple. I'll lead the way, and you'll be responsible for eliminating the threat.]

threaten?

What threat?

Are there monsters here too?

Just as Xin Xin frowned, two game prompts appeared in front of her the next second.

[Game Freedom]

In this game, you don't have to follow the rules. There are many random events, and many ways to complete them. You can choose to help them escape danger, or you can use them to achieve your goals. You can choose selfless dedication, or you can choose to harm others. These choices won't make you a good person or a bad person; everything is for survival!

——

Make flexible use of your abilities

Faced with multiple choices, your ability to reload save files grants you unlimited trial and error costs. Try using your abilities to find the right path.

After reading the game's hints, Xin Xin realized that to leave this place, she would need to use the protagonist's save/load ability.

Is it because of a lack of personal ability?

She pressed the confirm button, the notification faded, and control of the game was back in her hands.

Now, she can move again.

At this moment, the security guard and the female researcher stepped forward, indicating that they had followed.

Xin Xin tried to step back to create some distance, but the two immediately followed, remaining silent the entire time.

It's just like a follower in an RPG game.

"Okay, so now we need to escape from here? The game clearly tells me that saving and loading is also a way to solve the puzzle, so let's save here and try them one by one."

With that, she saved her game on the spot and then walked straight into the Pitch Black passage in front of her.

The two people behind him immediately followed and went inside.

Inside the passage, it was pitch black.

At the same time, the place was incredibly narrow and deathly silent.

Although it's only for one person at a time, there's still extra space to move around.

Now, apart from the three people's footsteps and breathing, there was no other sound.

The security guards' Flashlight were used to illuminate the road ahead, but their visibility was limited, so they couldn't see very far.

Xin Xin walked in this place with trepidation.

Because she was in the first position, and ahead lay an unknown, deep Pitch Black.

This kind of exploration, like a blind man groping in the dark, is absolutely terrifying at every step!

This has put her on a state of extreme tension, to the point that she's so easily frightened she might wet herself at the slightest disturbance.

She was certain that in this situation, if anything were to suddenly appear, she would be so frightened that she would fly away!

But she could only suppress her fear and slowly delve deeper.

Perhaps because of the tense atmosphere, the female researcher began by introducing herself.

[My name is Rose Emily, a research assistant. This is Agent Dave. Thank goodness I met him here, otherwise I probably would have collapsed on my own.]

[What's your name? Even though you're a D-rank, they shouldn't erase your memory of remembering your own name.]

Xin Xin listened to the female researcher's explanation, the panic in her heart subsided slightly.

For her, the current atmosphere just calls for someone to chat with and lighten the mood.

Otherwise, the whole process would be too depressing, and people would feel very uncomfortable.

However, the game's protagonist doesn't seem to understand.

He responded coldly to the female researcher's self-introduction.

Your name is meaningless to me. We just met by chance and this is only a temporary collaboration. I don't need to remember your name, nor do I need to tell you mine.

Xin Xin:

I really don't know whether to call you straightforward or dense.

The protagonist's answer left the female researcher speechless, unsure of what to say for a long time.

They could only remain silent and stop talking.

For a moment, even Xin Xin, a player herself, could feel the awkward atmosphere.

Fortunately, the three of them reached the end of the passage. Light then seeped in.

The awkward atmosphere dissipated as the excitement grew.

The three people came out quickly.

But what she saw next left Xin Xin dumbfounded.

Because what's in front of you is still the same circular platform as before!

What's going on?

We've come full circle?

Is this a maze? Or a honeycomb structure?

Etc!

Is this what the protagonist meant by "a completely new, repeating space"?

Just as Xin Xin was scratching her head, she heard the female researcher's voice behind her.

[As expected, the space here is repetitive and unchanging. Every path feels like walking in the same place, but going back along the path we came from leads to a new, repeating space. Have we completely lost ourselves in this space...?]

Upon hearing this, the security personnel immediately questioned the protagonist in an unfriendly tone.

[Hey, Rank D, didn't you say you'd follow me? Isn't this the same as before?]

As soon as she finished speaking, the game suddenly paused, and a new system notification appeared in front of Xin Xin.

The Pocket Dimension of A-FBC-0106 is full of mystery and the unknown; it would be very difficult for you to escape from here on your own.

The circular space you are in is one of the Pocket Dimension. It is boundless, and each passage leads to a new circular space. You can save your game here and choose a different path. Alternatively, you can load your save and return to the previous circular space to choose another path.

You can also leave this space by luck, without using your abilities.

After reading the hint, Xin Xin suddenly realized how eerie this space was.

Viewers in her live stream expressed their amazement.

"Is this another dimension? No, this place keeps repeating itself, it can't be called a world at all."

"Was that black monster, whose form was previously invisible, the one that dragged people into this Pocket Dimension?"

"Were Cowardly Core and these two NPCs banished and dragged into this place? Is this space some kind of puzzle or something? And is it really possible to get out?"

"The development team is really amazing. The game map is already huge, but they still managed to create these extra alternate dimensions and even insert events into them."

"Did Xin Xin forget some documents? Did you forget the introduction to the black monster or something?"

"Damn it, thank goodness this is just a game. If this were the real world, with nine paths to choose from, and if you chose the wrong one you would have to choose from nine again. I'm afraid I would never get out of here!"

"No wonder the development team put a hint here; isn't it obvious that you can only complete the game using the protagonist's save/load ability?"

Xin Xin looked at the comments in the live stream, then glanced at the circular space in front of her.

After thinking about it, she decided to explore the area.

If you just load a save file, then the game isn't fun.

After all, there are more than 3 million people watching the live stream. If everything goes smoothly, people will soon get bored.

so.

"Okay, let's explore this place first. Every space here is new anyway. If we really can't find our way out, we can just reload our save. We'll be able to get out in a maximum of eight reloads."

Xin Xin's decision was supported by the viewers in the live stream.

So she pressed the confirmation button on the joystick, the notification faded, and the game continued.

The protagonist immediately spoke after hearing the security guard's question.

[If you have any opinions, you can leave on your own, or simply stop following me. There's no need for you to put on airs in front of me.]

The security guard was furious upon hearing this.

[You bastard! You're just a useless guinea pig! How dare you talk to me like that!]

As he spoke, the security guard was about to step forward and strike him with the butt of his rifle.

But then, in the real-time animated sequence, the protagonist once again did something that shocked everyone in the live stream.

He stepped forward, dodged the gun butt, and lunged at the security guard, punching him in the exposed Adam's apple. The guard immediately collapsed to the ground, coughing violently and struggling to breathe.

At the same time, he snatched the gun, kicked him to the ground, stepped on the back of his neck, and held the gun to his head with one hand.

The entire sequence of actions was fluid and seamless, and in the blink of an eye, the fully armed agent was dealt with.

The viewers in front of the screen were stunned.

"This is the main character?! The main character is this awesome in the game?!"

"Holy crap! No wonder the protagonist was so confident before. I thought he was just being arrogant because he had the ability to reload saves. Turns out he's pretty good at hand-to-hand combat too!"

"I think this is quite normal. With so many monsters appearing, it's difficult for ordinary people to even protect themselves. The protagonist has experienced this more than 1,000 times. It would be a shame if he weren't strong."

"It seems that in the first 1000 experiences, the protagonist must have dealt with quite a few people and done quite a few things like this, yet he managed to punch someone in the throat with just one punch."

"It must be because the distance was relatively close. The protagonist can only be this skilled at close range. If the distance increases even slightly, he probably wouldn't be able to do it. The security personnel are special agents, they can't be that useless. The protagonist succeeded because he was underestimated, the distance was close, and it was a surprise attack."

Xin Xin was equally shocked as she watched the scene unfold before her.

She knew that the protagonist had the ability to foresee things, which had been clearly demonstrated in the previous experience. The protagonist had some understanding of most things and would have one or two comments, instead of being completely clueless and unaware of anything.

Therefore, he should have acquired a certain level of combat skill through these 1000+ trials.

However, most of the games she has played have not been reflected in real-time rendering.

In many games, the protagonist is invincible and unstoppable under the player's control.

However, in real-time rendering or CG animation, the protagonist becomes like a tool, blindly obedient, lacking any domineering presence or the awesome demeanor that players had when controlling the character.

This gives players a strong sense of contrast.

But now, in the game "Control Failure", the development team is doing the opposite!

When it comes to player control, it's incredibly timid.

The main character's own scenes are incredibly impressive.

This isn't how things work, brother!

Xin Xin pursed her lips, but to be honest, she quite enjoyed that her protagonist wasn't just a complete tool, and that she was also strong and assertive, which was a bit beyond her expectations.

It's a rather novel experience, how should I put it?

In short, she had a lot of fun.

The reason I haven't updated for the past two days is mainly because I messed up the code. Now that I've fixed it, I can continue writing normally. This game is about to end. It's impossible to write about all 18 anomalies in the original game; I've only picked a few. I'll give you a heads-up about my next game: it's a modern Horror Games related to gods (not Cthulhu).