Behind the Scenes: Players' Speculations

The newcomer reacted extremely quickly, retreating rapidly while thrusting his sword fiercely towards Zhang Fu.

Zhang Fu immediately used his dagger to defend himself.

The dagger traced a strange trajectory in the air, attempting to block the attacker's sword strike.

The two exchanged blows, their moves sharp and fierce.

The light of the sword and the cold glint of the dagger clashed together, producing a crisp clanging sound.

The newcomer's swordsmanship was fierce and powerful, each strike carrying the force of cutting through the wind, as if he intended to cleave Zhang Fu in two.

Zhang Fu's dagger, however, was agile and unpredictable, always able to find flaws in the attacker's swordplay and launch a counterattack.

The intense battle between the two immediately drew cheers from the viewers in the live stream.

Gao Linzhi nodded slightly.

Although limited by their strength and physical condition, the two were now panting heavily, each bearing several wounds.

However, their fighting skills are undeniable; they have reached the pinnacle.

With a muffled groan, Zhang Fu's dagger slashed a bloody gash across the intruder's left arm.

The blood was slowly seeping out.

Zhang Fu's right leg was also slashed by the attacker's sword tip, and blood stained his trouser leg.

As blood flowed out, the stench of blood immediately attracted the wolves chasing after them.

The wolf began to accelerate.

Zhang Fu noticed this.

He was very angry.

"Asshole!"

"It's all your fault! Now I'm stuck in a vicious cycle!"

Clearly, one of the rules of this Doomsday Road is that you cannot slow down.

If you want to slow down, you need the ability to kill all the monsters chasing you in order to start from scratch.

Zhang Fu suddenly shouted, and his aura exploded instantly.

The dagger in his hand, like a dragon emerging from the sea, carried a powerful force and pierced straight for the attacker's vitals.

Although the newcomer reacted quickly, he was ultimately a step too slow.

He hadn't expected Zhang Fu to unleash such a powerful attack. Fortunately, he was wearing a bulletproof vest and a stab-proof vest. He only felt a tremendous force send him flying, crashing heavily to the ground.

Zhang Fu gripped the dagger tightly and walked step by step toward the man lying on the ground, the dagger pointed directly at his throat.

The newcomer looked at Zhang San with eyes full of resentment and anger.

But in the end, he lowered his head. "Spare my life, I have no other choice."

"It was all the Company Executive who made me do it; it has nothing to do with me!"

"Hmph, do you think you can make me let you go just because you said that?" Zhang Fu sneered.

"Wait, you can't kill me! If you kill me, this strange domain will become stronger, and then you won't be able to leave!" The newcomer quickly revealed a secret.

Zhang Fu frowned slightly.

He actually knew this secret too.

Before he arrived, the company that hired him provided him with relevant training.

He naturally knew about these things.

Of course, he also knew that he was just cannon fodder, a pioneer scouting the way.

Once he entered, his death was practically inevitable.

What he needed to do was to gather as much information as possible before he died.

Only in this way can one receive sufficient posthumous compensation and benefits to provide a better living environment for their family.

He stomped on the other man's leg and broke it. "Get lost!"

In fact, by doing this, he wasn't letting the other party off the hook.

It was simply to draw the attention of the wolves behind them.

Sure enough, as the newcomer limped away and headed down a side road, the wolf abandoned Zhang Fu and chased after the newcomer.

After equipping the jade pendant, Zhang Fu continued on his journey.

However, he was clearly not the protagonist of this Doomsday Road.

His smugness didn't last long.

As he continued onward, deliberately maintaining his speed, he spotted another treasure chest.

After opening the treasure chest, he repeated the same mistake.

Like the previous person, he also opened a cursed item.

Before he died, he wrote his last words.

"Treasure chests may contain not only valuable equipment, but also potentially deadly curses."

"The correct strategy is to wait for someone else to open it instead of opening it yourself."

After forcing himself to finish writing his last words in his notebook, he lay down on his back.

"The sky is so blue."

Gao Linzhi shook his head, watching this professional also die in the strange realm.

This Doomsday Road is yet to claim countless lives.

However, he did not quell this strange idea.

After all, his goal was Immortality, not to take risks.

Besides, the company has enjoyed so many resources; now is their time to contribute.

It's not Gao Linzhi to put in the effort.

And at this time...

The streamer who was livestreaming the Doomsday Road also addressed the viewers in the livestream room:

"My friends, I'm sorry to say..."

"Our subject of observation is now dead."

Let us pray for him.

"This Doomsday Road survival scenario is clearly terrifying."

"It's really hard to survive in this kind of terrifying game."

"We can glean a few rules from that gentleman's experience."

"Firstly, firearms are prohibited here to force everyone to fight at close range."

One viewer asked, "Host, why are firearms banned?"

"I think it's probably because close-quarters combat triggers more intense emotions and thoughts." This streamer's single sentence proves that he is clearly an expert.

Gao Linzhi nodded.

Compared to ranged combat, close combat demands more courage from a person.

Many feudal dynasties' armies that had just encountered modern colonial armies were like this; they were actually able to tolerate long-range shooting and engage in mutual firefights with their opponents.

However, once their opponents unleash their full potential in close combat, they are forced to retreat.

It might seem that feudal armies should be accustomed to close combat, but that is not the case.

Their training and morale were insufficient to enable them to fight against modern armies.

Gao Linzhi seemed to be deep in thought as he read this.

There will never be a fixed protagonist in this game.

This is the real world, not a novel.

The people here will only fail one after another.

They will become nourishment for this strange creature, one by one.

Then they will be replaced by more new people.

The streamer had obviously seen this too.

"As you may have noticed, this strange realm is actually a den of demons that devours lives."

"Everyone, please don't go in!"

"Of course, since it wants to keep attracting people in, I think it will probably also offer a certain number of escape slots."

"That way, people can keep coming in."

"Just like those gambling dens, they give you a seemingly possible hope, but in reality, everyone who enters will eventually fall into the abyss."

Gao Linzhi thought about it and agreed that the other party was right.

However, he suddenly had a brilliant idea.

This method of behind-the-scenes manipulation is actually very suitable for his needs.

It is both safe and stable.

However, it's somewhat of a waste of time, and there are also risks involved.

That means the goal is actually too big.

Countless people are watching, and now someone is definitely trying to uncover the manipulator behind this strange situation.

Because they could also see that this oddity incorporated elements from a large number of games.

This can only be achieved with player involvement.

Gao Linzhi was considering how he should take advantage of the opportunity before him.

What can he gain from it?

Two fruits that boost attributes are far too few compared to this strange creature.

If you come here and only take the fruit, it's like buying the box and returning the pearl.

While Gao Linzhi was pondering, the United Association finally began a large-scale operation.

A major city in the center.

Inside a conference room in a high-rise building.

"Let others be the first to test the waters and try to find out the details of this strange entity."

"Yes, we can't afford to waste our precious strength."

"Have those big companies send their best personnel, and also tell them some real information, like that weirdo can provide pirated player qualifications."

"That's right. Although it can't compare to a real player, at least it has a simple data panel that allows one's strength to steadily improve."

Everyone nodded.

Several high-ranking members of the United Association were discussing the matter there.

They had been discussing it for a while when suddenly an old man walked in.

"You're all so stupid!"

"What kind of time is this? Are you still going to resort to such petty tricks?"

"Have you forgotten how the Southern Ming Dynasty was destroyed?"

"With a formidable enemy at hand, our own people are still vying to install different members of the royal family as regents. The enemy is already at our doorstep, yet they still want to fight among themselves first to determine who will inherit the throne!"

"In the end, the last emperor was also strangled!"

"President!" Everyone stood up, trembling with fear.

Although the United Association was originally just a coordinating body, as the supernatural invaded and the gamers gained more power, it gradually began to transform from an insignificant organization into one of greater importance.

After all, it occupies the noble title of coordinating various companies to jointly deal with the crisis.

Having this title can attract some geniuses.

But the new era is precisely one where a genius can decide many things.

The president of the United Association is such a genius.

Although he was old, he awakened a particularly powerful talent: "Old and Strong".

The older you get, the stronger your defenses become.

It can be said that this talent was in perfect harmony with his own personality.

This gave him a defensive capability exceeding level 40 even at level one.

This allows it to act as a tank in many teams.

And his development path is precisely the same as that of tanks.

The importance of tanks to any team is self-evident.

You can fight a boss without a healer, you can be without DPS, but you can't be without a tank.

With tanks, victory is possible.

If there's no wet nurse, medication can be used as a substitute; low output can be compensated for over time.

If there's no defense, then we're just waiting for a team wipe.

The president's name is "Shi Zhongsheng," and he is a recent appointee.

This United Association isn't like those big corporations; it won't have hereditary succession.

It is generally replaced every four years.

And now, it is Shi Zhongsheng's turn to take the stage.

As soon as he stepped onto the stage, he displayed a style different from the others.

He argued that the United Association should proactively assume its responsibilities.

We can no longer just talk the talk without listening to anyone.

"President, what should we do now?" a senior member finally asked.

"Immediately send people to coordinate with major companies to have them send personnel as well. We must quickly contain this dangerous anomaly."

"We must take the initiative to assume responsibility in order to mobilize a large number of people at the grassroots level."

"Only in this way can we gain the trust of more powerful independent cultivators."

"We must change our mindset. The future will inevitably belong to the strong and independent individuals." Shi Zhongsheng offered a different perspective on the current situation.

The others were skeptical.

He shook his head and said, "You've forgotten, ordinary people are the majority, while Company Executive and powerful families are extremely rare."

"Although the latter possess a great deal of wealth, the new era values awakening and talent, which is precisely a victory for ordinary people, just like sports stars, most of whom come from ordinary families."

"No matter how much wealth a powerful family possesses, or how high their starting point, a single extraordinary talent from the other party can reverse everything."

No one argued. Although they acknowledged that the chairman's words made sense, they couldn't simply accept it wholeheartedly.

However, their operation began swiftly.

With the coordination of the United Association, dozens of security teams were finally mobilized in large numbers.

Tens of thousands of security personnel arrived in Bear City in the north by plane.

They surrounded the area.

The first step was to drive the onlookers away to prevent them from entering the strange realm and becoming nourishment for its enhancement.

In this way...

First, the people in the live stream got angry.

"Damn it, what are they doing?"

"We need to see what's going on inside!"

"Yes, so that we can be mentally prepared if it happens to us in the future."

Why won't you let us see?

The audience was furious.

Of course, they weren't the ones who were even angrier.

Rather, it's the players who get caught up in it.

Thanks to their superhuman strength, they have not yet suffered any deaths.

After all, those monsters were no match for them.

However, they still felt very unlucky.

For some reason, even after their resurrection, they remained confined to the realm of the bizarre.

This is what frustrates them the most.

After all, those who dared to come here all possessed Revival Stone.

However, this strange realm has blocked the Revival Stone's maximum effect.

If you can't respawn inside the Safe Zone, can it even be called respawning?

That will only result in the enemy camping the corpse.

For safety reasons, the players who were trapped gathered together.

That way, if I die, someone will help protect me after I've just been resurrected.

"Hateful!"

Why doesn't this game let us respawn in the game world?

"Can't the game control this monster?"

"Clearly, there's only one reason: other players are interfering behind this strange occurrence," someone speculated.

How could this be?

"Because only players understand the resurrection mechanism and can make the monsters interfere."

"Aside from the players, there's the game company, but the game company has no need to cooperate with the supernatural."

"Damn it, it's true what they say, competitors are enemies!"

"That's right, that must be it. The other players have formed a partnership with the anomaly."

"They want to gain power through the bizarre."

There are indeed some clever people among the players.

They quickly figured out the root of the problem.

"So how do we solve this?"