Captain Hooknose's words set Russell's mind racing. Perhaps this world did not only contain Eight Legged Freaks; there were other things as well.
Russell thought so because, in the previous world, Smith had appeared alongside the Assassin Alliance storyline.
The Assassin Alliance was one thread, and Smith was another. There was no conflict or shared interest between them, yet they were subtly connected. Cross and the unlucky congressman acted as hubs, seamlessly linking the two storylines together. Like NPCs handing out quests, they could unlock side quests through contact.
Although the World Quest only had a main storyline, everyone living here was flesh and blood, not cold data. There was no such thing as an NPC. Yet Captain Hooknose, like Cross, was currently playing the role of an NPC, extending a new side storyline for Russell within the Eight Legged Freaks plot.
Thinking of Captain Hooknose's words and reflecting on the World Quest to "uncover the truth behind the Mutant Spider Incident and eliminate the Mutation Source," Russell realized that he was beginning to touch upon the truth of this world. It contained more than Giant Spiders; supernatural powers and the like were hidden here as well.
"System, are the worlds we travel to always this chaotic?"
Russell had a headache. The world's whole style had gone off the rails, greatly increasing the difficulty of completing quests. The original plot could no longer serve as a reference.
Host...
"Speak plainly!" Russell muttered inwardly, directly interrupting the cold electronic voice.
"Daddy, I'm not really sure either!" A little girl's voice rang out, seemingly acting cute out of malice but actually gloating. The system was asking for a beating again.
"You've gone through so many Hosts. How could you not know?"
"You misunderstand. Although I have assisted quite a few Hosts, my