"The world you live in is just a game, and I am a player..."
Ilex said this, but he was shocked to find that what he said had turned into a nonsensical statement. He tried again and again and found that whenever he tried to reveal any information about "reality", the system would change his words.
Cerberus shook his head helplessly. "Just like the answers in the hypnosis recording, it's all nonsense."
Ilex was stunned, then suddenly realized that the NPCs' ability to detect the player's special abilities must have been deliberately simulated by the developers.
"It's so realistic!" Ilex exclaimed in shock. The immersive experience of Galaxy was so incredible that it gave him the illusion that the NPCs were real people.
He understood the meaning behind the name of the 1.0 version of "Galaxy." The developers wanted players to become "The Descenders" and experience the feeling of immersing themselves in another "real" world, so they restricted players from revealing real-world information to avoid disrupting the sense of immersion. He remembered a very old online game where players from two factions couldn't chat with each other in the game due to language restrictions; it was something like "World of Divine Beasts."
"That must be it!" Ilex said with certainty.
Even if he thought the NPCs' curious reactions to the players were simulated, he was still pleasantly surprised. Putting aside his identity as a professional gamer, Ilex himself found * Galaxy * extremely enjoyable, and he couldn't wait to see what would happen next—how would these NPCs react as the number of players increased?
The guards took Ilex back, while Cerberus remained in the lab to collect bloodstains from the operating table. After testing, the bloodstains appeared normal. His eyes flickered as he pondered silently.
"Let's call this phenomenon the ' Inhuman Phenomenon.' What is its root cause, and why is it spreading? Most Inhuman appear out of thin air; there's no record of them in the database. Could it be the birth of a new race? Or is it the effect of some kind of supernatural ability? Or is it a projection of some advanced civilization?"
Cerberus turned on his computer, pulled up a top-secret file, verified the fingerprints, irises, and the daily changing password, and opened a document. This was a copy of the "Pan-Universal Civilization Contact Treaty (Seventh Revision)". The Planet Aquamarine made contact with the Goddora Civilization and gained a lot of common knowledge about the universe. The Germinal also had a copy of this treaty.
The text explicitly states that high-dimensional projection is a malicious means of interfering with the progress of lower-level civilizations. Its non-death characteristic is very similar to the projection technology described in the treaty. If true, this would be an invasion by an advanced civilization... No, an advanced civilization capable of physical projection wouldn't need such a complicated method to invade. The reasonable explanation is that Planet Aquamarine has become a testing ground for some civilization; a backward civilization is simply at the mercy of others. Cerberus, however, wasn't angry at all; he was excited. Unexpected phenomena ignited his passion.
If the number of Inhuman continues to increase, their invincibility will drastically alter the landscape of Planet Aquamarine.
"The Inhuman can be brainwashed and are highly obedient, but when asked about Inhuman origins, Inhuman will talk nonsense. It is speculated that this is an instinctive reaction or an unknown language, and more experiments are needed to confirm this."
The transmission route of the Inhuman Phenomenon is unknown. It is impossible to determine whether it is a physical transmission or a mental infection. It cannot be observed. The physical and mental condition of Inhuman is the same as that of normal humans. Their test results are normal. The form in which their special characteristics exist cannot be determined. It could be due to superpowers, diseases, genetic mutations, or any other reason.
Interestingly, no instances of these Inhuman sleeping have been observed. Based on the timeline, their disappearance might be Inhuman 'sleep pattern'. Some of these Inhuman possess other abilities, though their strength is relatively weak, seemingly possessing extraordinary potential for unknown reasons. Further details remain to be added...
Is the Inhuman Phenomenon a long-term phenomenon or a short-term occurrence? Will the number of superhumans stop increasing? Is it possible for wild animals to be infected by the Inhuman Phenomenon? In the long run, the Inhuman Phenomenon poses a great hidden danger, and countermeasures or methods to curb it must be developed as soon as possible...
After writing down his summary, Cerberus submitted the report to the leader. The leader's worldview was slightly shaken, but fortunately, he was resolute. Because of the existence of various superpowers, even ordinary people have a strong ability to accept things and are used to all kinds of inexplicable phenomena.
"The Six Nations will eventually notice the Inhuman. Faced with this phenomenon, the importance of being our enemy will take a backseat. The Six Nations will definitely contact interstellar civilizations to inquire about the cause of the Inhuman Phenomenon. They won't have time to start a war, which will give me some breathing room."
The leader was also Inhuman Phenomenon, but he was unable to contact interstellar civilizations. However, he discovered a crucial problem: the Inhuman could be brainwashed and were highly obedient!
An idea naturally came to him.
"They're born cannon fodder!"
The Andia Continent was the territory of the Germinal, which it held absolute control over. The leader ordered the capture of the Inhuman to be brought back for research and brainwashing. Inhuman had also appeared on the other three continents, but unfortunately, their branch bases had all been destroyed, leaving no manpower to capture them. Only then did the leader realize how much of an opportunity the organization had lost, all because of Zero. He was furious and even considered using the powerful weapon of "Child of Destiny" to locate Zero, but he had not yet made up his mind to take the risk.
I wonder how interstellar civilizations view the Inhuman Phenomenon. Is this phenomenon rare, or is it common in the universe?
There are four beginner villages in the Western Continent. More than 20 days after the start of the open beta, the average level of players is almost level 10. Han Xiao plans to add the [Energy Refinement Method] to the skill list this time, priced at 10,000 experience points and 3,000 Aquamarine Dollar. He has removed the 10-point favor requirement, so some players should be able to afford it.
The plane landed at Farrian's small outpost in the Western Continent. The climate in the Western Continent was rather cold and damp, and Han Xiao felt uncomfortable as soon as he took his first breath of air after getting off the plane.
Over the past ten days or so, he created the frame of the Viper Mech, which is an endoskeleton formed by PE-0 Nano Muscle Fiber. It looks like a thick black bodysuit, with wrinkles that resemble muscle textures. Han Xiao tried it on once and found it very lightweight. It already provided a basic boost to his physical abilities. For example, when throwing a punch, the fibers inside the mech would stretch and twist, generating elasticity. This elasticity was concentrated in the direction of force through the transmission module, increasing the power of the punch. It was like gaining a new layer of muscles and tendons, which was more flexible than a skeletal endoskeleton, allowing the user to move at will.
It's still in the debugging stage, and other materials need to be added to prevent force loss. Han Xiao has spent a lot of experience, using [Advanced Materials Science] to integrate other Basic Knowledge, and obtained some useful materials.
With the mecha frame in place, the most crucial energy system, the "Bonfire" miniature reactor, was an advanced piece of equipment. He entrusted Lei Zhenyu to purchase it, and the seller happened to be in the Western Continent. Han Xiao chose to come to the Western Continent partly to pick up the goods.
Mechs are a quick way to increase combat power. As long as the Viper Mech is replicated, his combat power can increase significantly.
"Go to the starting village and get some experience first."
Han Xiao marked the location on the map and handed it to the driver. Just then, his phone rang with a message notification. He opened it and saw that it was a bounty from the Blood Pact Union.
"Black Phantom, this is a bounty from the higher-ups on the Dark Net. Your mission is to infiltrate the residences of several Red Maple officials, leave behind some documents, and someone will meet you in the Western Continent to deliver the documents. Below is the meeting place and specific information about the Red Maple officials..."
Han Xiao raised an eyebrow and immediately dialed Bennett's number. "Hey, what are you doing?"
Knowing high-ranking people has its advantages; a single phone call is all it takes to get things done. Compared to other assassins, he's definitely got connections.
Bennett: "Red Maple refused material aid because of these officials. They manage the budget, and you know the situation on Red Maple's side. It's like touching their slush funds, so they're vehemently opposed."
"What kind of material aid?" Han Xiao raised an eyebrow, having a premonition.
"I haven't mentioned it to you yet, but the organization is preparing a large-scale project codenamed [Sanctuary]. Originally, there was a year to prepare, but with war about to break out, we had to plan ahead and request material aid from various countries. Only Red Maple explicitly refused."
Han Xiao's eyes lit up. The main storyline of the Sanctuary Project had started ahead of schedule, and he valued it highly. With his connections on the Dark Net, he was confident he could become a participant in the plan. Knowing the answer already, he asked, "What is the Sanctuary Plan? Do you need my help?"