Online, Ke Meng's Strange Cat review video continued to spread.
It looked incredibly real, yet could not possibly exist in reality, so everyone who clicked through first reacted with shock, then found themselves drawn in by its bizarre style.
Once hooked, people began following this Bilibili uploader named "Blue Ocean OvO."
His latest video was a review of a pair of Mighty Gloves, in which he lifted the front of a car with one arm. Though it lacked any meme appeal, its equally realistic footage helped it spread far and wide online.
"Holy shit, he lifted the front of the car."
"Can any of you geniuses explain how he did that?"
"My blind guess: he lifted the car with a jack first, then edited the jack out. Problem solved."
"But the way he lowered the car looked really realistic too. Was it really a jack?"
"It's doable. It would just take time."
Won over by the videos' realism, countless viewers shared them with their group chats.
After watching, the next wave of viewers spread the word to others.
The two videos spread at a blistering pace.
On another planet, staff at the Orange Star Mech City Research Institute completed their research report on the "Three-Player Brainwave Alert."
"What we can confirm is that an unknown bug occurred in the game, subjecting the three players to excessive stimulation. Their brains chose amnesia to protect their bodies."
"The evidence is that all three players independently drew the same scene of an evil ritual. This indicates that a ritual did indeed take place in the game's Kobold Mountain Village during that period."
"However, we cannot reconstruct what happened during that time. The game footage did not capture whatever was above the well, and there was no corresponding object in the game code either. Our theory is that an artificial intelligence system mutated during that period and broke free of the game's central AI's control. We must remain vigilant against this mutated AI. It may be capable of breaking through the restrictions of its core code..."
Once the Mech City researcher finished his summary, the game company's representative raised a hand. "Since a mutated AI was responsible, and we've identified the cause, can World's servers reopen?"
"Yes." The researcher paused, then explained, "We'll send in a dedicated team of investigators to conduct a sting operation through the virtual game World, luring the mutated AI into revealing itself."
After finishing, the researcher sat back down.
Conversation swelled in the conference room as everyone discussed the details of the sting operation.
The engineers' eyes shone with excitement. This was the first time humanity had discovered the possibility of a mutated AI's existence.
They had already used the combined computing power of several cities to thoroughly search the three players' gaming pods, but found no potentially hidden anomalous code.
Artificial intelligence operated on logical thinking, with its underlying code forming its most fundamental logic. It would not maliciously harm players.
Yet what the three players had experienced during the sacrifice clearly went beyond the first core rule: do not harm a human being, or stand idly by while witnessing a human being facing danger.
The human scientists took a keen interest in this. Many decided to reopen World's servers and lay a trap to capture it!
If left unchecked, they could not imagine what it might grow into in the future.
To avoid arousing its suspicions, the administrators would not prevent players from logging in. The game would continue operating as usual so that it would suspect nothing.
As for whether the three players could return to the game, brain specialists and psychologists all stressed that the patients must not return to the virtual game World.
"The three players have underlying psychological trauma. Though their amnesia prevents them from recalling those terrifying events, exposure to similar stimuli again would inevitably cause even greater psychological trauma."
"Taking into account the possible existence of that anomalous AI, we have reason to protect these three citizens' physical safety. We cannot allow them to enter the virtual game World again."
Once the report's summary was complete, the three players also received the official summary report.
"What? I can't log into World?" Wang Qing, the leather-armored assassin, found it unbelievable. "I don't agree to this. That's my account. Why shouldn't I be allowed in?"
"We're very sorry. Entering the game is highly likely to expose you to further trauma, so the game company has revoked your access to World. Please choose another virtual game," the game's official AI apologized. "To compensate for your loss, the Virtual Game Association has prepared an unlimited online gaming package for you. You may freely play every game except World."
Wang Qing stared at the official reply, his mouth opening slightly. "Is it really that serious?"
The other two male players likewise received ban notices and generous gaming compensation packages.
The two female players who had once been their teammates were not banned. They could still log into World.
That same day, World's server maintenance ended, and all players could enter the game again.
White Milk had been waiting for this day for a long time. Other virtual games were fun too, but for some reason, World felt different.
Casting many of its skills felt wonderfully mysterious, rather than merely being a combination of light and sound.
Other virtual games advertised a one-hundred-percent realistic experience, but casting skills in them amounted to using visual effects and changes in sound to create a flashy sensation. In reality, the body remained exactly as it was.
World was different. Its optimization was unlike anything else. When casting Water Magic, she could distinctly feel as though her body had turned to water, with water flowing through it. It was extraordinary.
She could not quite describe the sensation. All she knew was that it was far better than other games.
Wearing a pair of little white shorts, she lay down in her soft gaming pod and closed her eyes. Before long, she fell asleep.
Welcome back Your character has been resurrected Level -1
A set of pale notifications flashed before her eyes. White Milk opened them and found herself at the beginner village's Resurrection Altar.
This was one of the game's mechanics: after death, players revived at the Resurrection Altar.
Perhaps this world had skills such as resurrection spells, but the game had only recently launched, and the players' levels were low. No one possessed such a skill.
Thus, after dying, players could only revive at the Resurrection Altar. Each resurrection cost them one level and one random piece of equipment.
White Milk opened her inventory. It was empty, with nothing left inside. The Kobolds had cleaned it out.
At the thought, White Milk gritted her teeth. Those damned Kobolds-she was going to slaughter them!
"You're online?" Her friend Sweetness Fills the Air sent her a message.
"Yeah. Where are you? Let's level up together, then go settle the score at the Kobold village," White Milk said angrily.
"I want to settle the score too. You know what? All my equipment ended up in Kobold Mountain Village. I'm so pissed!"
"Same here! There wasn't a single thing left in my inventory!"
As the two female players talked about Kobold Mountain Village, their eyes seemed to blaze with fury.
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