novelraw Chapter 111: Artificial Souls - Part 38
Chapter 111: Artificial Souls - Part 38
In the video thumbnail, he wore a mask.
However, this disguise had minimal effect, considering he was a well-known gaming streamer who frequently showed his face. In his previous videos, he had already revealed plenty about himself, to the extent that his long-time fans knew his real name.
When Kui Xin searched online, she quickly found his real name.
His full name was He Kangshi, and the account nickname used for posting videos was a variation of his given name. Fans referred to him as "Old Kang." On the video-sharing platform, he had a considerable following. Previously, when he suddenly deleted his videos and went missing, it sparked significant discussion. Several veteran content creators who were connected with him expressed their surprise, stating they couldn't reach him personally through their feeds. This incident even made it onto trending topics, albeit at a lower rank.
Such a start was indeed unfortunate. However, what astonished Kui Xin was that despite having his personal information exposed extensively, He Kangshi managed to survive three weeks in the second world without being caught by the Federation's search efforts. It seemed almost unbelievable.
For the moment, Kui Xin logged out of the forum and accessed the video-sharing website to watch He Kangshi's uploaded clips.
The environment in the videos appeared extremely dim. He Kangshi wore a Sun Wukong mask purchased from a roadside stall, sitting upright beside his computer desk.
As soon as he began speaking, Kui Xin noticed his mental state was severely distressed. His entire demeanor exuded exhaustion and weakness, and his voice sounded feeble.
Rows of comments scrolled across the screen:
"You ghost! You finally know how to come back!""Did something happen at Old Kang's home?"
"What happened?"
The screen was filled with questions and exclamations, almost obscuring the video itself. Kui Xin disabled the live comments to focus solely on the content.
"Hello everyone, it's me, Old Kang. I'm deeply sorry for not updating in such a long time. Recently, I disappeared from the public eye because I encountered an event that completely shattered my worldview. I found myself in danger, along with ten thousand other unsuspecting fellow gamers. As an ordinary, naturally timid person, my initial reaction when faced with this situation was to flee, as far away as possible. But now, I can't run anymore. If I don't speak out about this, the number of victims may surpass ten thousand."
There were minimal signs of editing in He Kangshi's video, and the quality was very low. The footage constantly shook, suggesting that, after receiving news of the new Closed Beta launch, he hastily recorded this video overnight using his phone and rushed to upload it.
"Everything I'm about to say is absolutely serious; there's no advertisement or marketing involved. I swear on my household registration book and Red Scarf that what I am sharing is my genuine experience, as well as the true experiences of those ten thousand victims."
With a wry smile, He Kangshi spoke in a darkly humorous tone, "Don't be afraid of what I'm about to tell you next."
"The story starts on July 36th. On that day, I received an invitation to the closed beta of Crimson Earth from the official team. At the time, I even enthusiastically posted online, saying I would record gameplay videos and create guides for everyone. I thought I was incredibly lucky, never expecting to be one in a billion—a supremely unfortunate individual.
"This game isn't just any ordinary game; even if it is considered a game, it's one created by gods. I reviewed the official documents, signed my name, and agreed to participate in this game. On July 37th, at midnight, the closed beta began. However, instead of logging into a typical game, I found myself transported to a parallel reality—an actual cyberpunk world!"
"Sounds absurd, right? I thought so too. However, such an absurd thing did happen."
"Along with me, another ten thousand players were simultaneously transported. Before our transition, we entered a closed beta player forum together. This forum gathered individuals from various countries, communicating in different languages. At the top of the forum, there was a row of numbers displayed—the number of surviving players."
"The game's crossover cycle lasts for one week. During this week within the game, time flow in the real world is paused. We cross over at midnight and return at midnight, with each cycle spanning seven days, allowing us to shuttle between both worlds. After enduring a brutal week in the game world, upon returning to reality, I found that out of ten thousand players, over three hundred had died in just the first week. In the second week, more than six hundred perished, and last week was the third week, with over a hundred deaths…"
"Here comes the crucial point: those who die are truly dead; there's no concept of continuing life in another world after death in one. This is a game without respawns or save points; once you enter, you have only one life."
"You might wonder how I confirmed this. It happened because another player crossed over to the same location as mine. I consider myself quite fortunate to have had a companion during my very first week in the game. We agreed to stay in touch when we returned to the real world, but unexpectedly, he died. Upon returning to reality, I immediately dialed his home number using the digits he provided, but there was no answer. I persisted in calling all day, and eventually, his family answered. They informed me that he had suddenly passed away in his sleep the previous night, only discovered when they tried waking him up for breakfast, finding his body already stiff."
At this point, He Kangshi's voice slightly choked up, and he paused for quite some time before continuing his narrative.
"Please understand that what I'm sharing is neither a joke nor fiction. I hope everyone watching my video fully grasps the dangers of Crimson Earth. Once you enter it, you'll experience cruelties unlike anything in the real world. You will be compelled to kill, and others may kill you."
"You might even face pursuit from the Second World's government because, when players arrive in that world, they directly replace another soul from that realm, essentially transmigrating into their parallel self. Although you resemble your ‘original counterpart' physically, you do not possess their memories, making it easy to raise suspicions. If you arouse the doubts of your Second World family, you're doomed. If your unusual behavior catches the attention of the federal government, they will dispatch super-artificial intelligence to monitor you. Once they confirm your status as an interloper from another world, they will undoubtedly eliminate you."
"The technology in the Second World is highly advanced; entering it as an ordinary person is akin to a country bumpkin arriving in a city, requiring everything to be relearned, including adapting to new societal norms. Should you inadvertently reveal your ignorance, your fate would be capture and elimination—either death or something far worse."
"The Second World also harbors peculiar and dangerous creatures along with various superhuman abilities. These unknown entities make it difficult to guard against… I won't go into detailed explanations of the game rules or the nature of the Second World. My goal is not to familiarize you with this game, but rather to steer you away from it."
"Lastly, there's one more terrifying thing I must mention. Players will engage in mutual slaughter because we are divided into two factions: Deprivers and Proxies. A Depriver can seize a Proxy's full capabilities by killing them, and conflicts among Proxies themselves also occur. It's challenging to rely on your companions, as they might become your undoing."
He Kangshi paused briefly. "Not playing this game won't cost you your life, but participating in it could lead to your demise. Perhaps my warning may pique some individuals' curiosity and desire to investigate further, but I must emphasize that curiosity killed the cat—and it can kill you too. I won't say any more; I've already outlined the dangers faced upon entering the game. If even a single word resonates with you, then immediately stay clear of this game and never play it."
"Additionally, I know that many people have already discovered my true identity, and there may be some influential individuals who even know where I'm hiding. It doesn't matter; I don't care anymore. My information has been thoroughly exposed anyway, so I'm not bothered by saying more." He Kangshi seemed resigned as if he had nothing to lose. However, after a few seconds, he showed a moment of fear: "If anyone watching this video still has a conscience, please refrain from spreading my real-life details. I have the courage to come forward, but indeed, I am afraid of dying."
He Kangshi looked into the phone camera, remaining silent for a while longer. Appearing determined, he continued, "There will undoubtedly be skeptics questioning the authenticity of what I've said, so—" He grabbed a nearby bottle of mineral water, then suddenly relaxed his hand, causing the bottle to float effortlessly in mid-air.
Gritting his teeth, he declared firmly, "This is not a special effect; it's my superhuman ability. If any Deprivers or malicious individuals target me… you'll find yourself with no way back."
Kui Xin finished watching the video and checked its view count.
The views were skyrocketing rapidly. In just a few hours, it had amassed over one million plays, and the numbers continued to grow steadily. New comments were being posted constantly.
Most comments were questioning whether He Kangshi's account was true or if it was just a staged video prank. Some users directly criticized him:
"Just admit you're promoting the game; there's no need for such a grand spectacle. Society truly is a melting pot of influences—Old Kang has become so exaggerated for money too. The special effects at the end even looked quite convincing."
Predictably, rebellious comments appeared beneath the video, along the lines of "You tell me not to play, yet I'll insist on trying it out." Soon, the comment section devolved into a heated argument.
One highly upvoted comment said, "The internet has indeed advanced, allowing all sorts of trolls and bizarre individuals to surface online."
It seemed that even He Kangshi must have been speechless; after summoning great courage to reveal the truth, the video's comment section turned into a battleground. Eventually, the comments section was locked entirely, and the live chat was cleared, but the video remained with its views continuously increasing.
Kui Xin returned to the forum and noticed that the initial post about He Kangshi's video had ballooned into a lengthy thread, with players engaged in mutual bickering within it.
12L: ??? Did this guy consider our feelings before sharing such information in public? Don't forget, there's a rule stating that killing a player grants direct entry into the game. If this rule becomes public knowledge, might some malicious individuals start hunting us down to obtain game slots? His action essentially exposes the existence of players to the entire world!
13L replying to 12L: I refuse to be spoken for; I think he showed great courage. I wouldn't have had the guts to expose these issues, but he risked his life. As for the exposure aspect, as long as we remain cautious and honest, the risk of being exposed should be minimal.
14L replying to 13L: Spare me your sentiments about others' risks. The probability of exposure is either zero or one; I don't want to die.
Some admired him for revealing the truth, while others feared the secrets coming under scrutiny. Each person held their own stance, with their own concerns. They fiercely debated on the forum, unable to persuade each other.
26L: Initially, the player base was very small, with only ten thousand people. Even though over a thousand of us have already died, that number remains quite insignificant. Let me share a chilling statistic: annually in our country, there are half a million sudden deaths, an astonishingly high figure. If we evenly distributed the more than 1,000 deceased players across our nation, how many would it amount to per region? Just a few hundred at most, barely reaching three hundred. And when dividing these three hundred among every province, district, and city, the numbers become pitifully low. Once someone dies, they're gone, hardly causing any ripples. With so many deaths occurring daily, it might not even make the headlines as breaking news. Consequently, despite continuous deaths spanning three weeks, it never aroused the First World's vigilance.
By stepping forward and revealing the truth, Old Kang at least allows people in this world to become vigilant, preventing them from unknowingly facing danger. Now, the mirages in the sky are becoming more distinct, and their duration is longer. I think the two worlds will merge, and the sooner we accept it, the better prepared we can be for whatever comes next.
I lacked the courage to reveal the truth myself, but I won't blame those who do speak out.