novelraw Chapter 77: Artificial Souls - (4)
Chapter 77: Artificial Souls - (4)
Kui Xin sprinted towards the subway station, rushing home as quickly as possible.
On her way home, Kui Xin opened her phone and searched for keywords like “mirage” and “evening sky” on social media platforms, then clicked to view real-time posts.
With a flurry, various photos popped up. It was clear that others noticed the odd evening sky phenomenon. People across the nation posted their photographs on social media, and some influencer accounts even sparked a trending topic with significant buzz.
#Mirages Stunningly Appear Across Evening Skies Nationwide#
Kui Xin’s expression immediately darkened.
She examined each image shared by netizens, scrolling down continuously, and discovered that the timing of mirage appearances varied across different locations. When Kui Xin first saw the mirage, she briefly checked her phone; it displayed 6:39 PM.
The mirage lasted for less than twenty seconds, closely aligning with her phone’s time.
However, some netizens’ photos were posted as early as 5 PM, and Kui Xin even came across an image from a student studying abroad—where it wasn’t evening but broad daylight instead. Intentionally searching for pictures posted by users located overseas, she discovered a deeply unsettling truth—the mirage phenomenon appeared consecutively in regions worldwide within approximately two and a half hours.
Kui Xin was astounded, feeling more shaken than when she received the “Cultist Murder Investigation” task in the subway last time. It was akin to the overwhelming sensation she experienced while confronting the Eye within the Silkworm’s cocoon aboard The Kraken.
Kui Xin felt a sense of suffocating pressure.It was as if the ceiling above her were gradually descending, compressing her standing space smaller and smaller until she could only hunch over, crouch down, or eventually lie flat on the ground.
What was pressing down upon her now wasn’t just a ceiling, but an entire city—even a whole world!
Kui Xin suppressed her anxiety, striving to regain composure.
After enduring numerous trials in the Second World, she learned how to control her emotions effectively. It was like there was an invisible switch in her mind; whenever she forcefully compelled herself to remain calm, this emotional switch would activate, shutting away any inappropriate feelings deep within her psyche.
The topic stirred up by the marketing account had already surged onto trending lists, with an increasing number of people posting their own photographs.
Kui Xin examined the images posted by netizens in sequence and then clicked on their profiles to check their locations. Afterwards, she saved those pictures with the intention of scrutinizing the details once she got home.
To conserve phone storage space, Kui Xin selected only clearer and more representative images. Despite this, her phone’s memory quickly filled up.
She had no choice but to stop gathering pictures and instead focus on analyzing the details within them.
The hazy mirages depicted city after city, distinct from reality because these cities were inverted—ground became sky, and sky became ground as if trees were growing upside down. The phantom cities’ skyscrapers had blurred outlines, slightly distorted due to light refraction.
Neon lights entwined around the grayish-black building phantoms, creating a spectacle reminiscent of the Northern Lights. Unfortunately, the photos were taken at dusk, making some colors difficult to distinguish. However, based on the available images, the phantom cities within the mirages indeed bore the style of the Second World.
Kui Xin searched through one image after another, looking for a familiar city phantom—the Black Sea City.
If the phantom of Black Sea City also appeared above cities in the First World, the situation would be exceedingly grave.
The subway announcement sounded, indicating that Kui Xin’s stop had arrived.
She put away her phone and swiftly ran home. When she arrived at her house, she immediately took out her phone to continue comparing images.
Kui Xin knew Black Sea City best in the Second World, and she could instantly recognize its iconic landmarks.
The technology skyscraper in the city center, the searchlights and lighthouse at the port, and the crowded container terminals along the coastline… To validate her conjecture, she searched through the pictures for familiar phantoms.
Finally, Kui Xin found it.
Dumbstruck, she set down her phone and stared blankly at the image of the lighthouse.
That phantom lighthouse was exceedingly familiar to Kui Xin. Because she had personally visited it, she was well acquainted with its structure and height. On the day she planned to kill Ball Python, she had taken up position with a sniper rifle from this very lighthouse.
The location where the Black Sea City phantom appeared was an obscure coastal village in a remote province, named “Black Sand Cape.”
The shapes of continents in the First World and Second World were not entirely identical. Some continents shared similar shapes and regional cultures, while others exhibited stark geographical differences compared to the First World, along with significant cultural distinctions.
However, the phantom of Black Sea City appeared above Black Sand Cape—both being coastal cities, so there must be a special connection… Perhaps each city in the First World corresponds to and is linked to a particular city in the Second World.
Something seemed to choke Kui Xin’s throat as she sat silently in her chair.
Looking outside again, the sky had darkened. The vibrant hues of the sunset clouds had disappeared, transitioning from deep blue to rich purple. The sky was empty; there were no mirages or phantoms of cities visible. Yet, the steadily climbing trending topics and fervent discussions among netizens starkly revealed a cruel reality.
The influence of the Second World on the First World is increasingly growing, or perhaps one could say that both worlds are mutually infiltrating each other.
The infiltration of the First World into the Second World manifested itself through the invasion of players. Individuals from the First World supplanted natives of the Second World, taking over their bodies.
Initially, the signs of the Second World’s penetration into the First World were not evident.
The earliest indication Kui Xin could identify was Fang Zhi, a member of the secret cult and a devout follower of the ancient god. After witnessing the Eye within the Silkworm aboard The Kraken, Kui Xin deeply suspected that genuine deities indeed existed in the Second World. Followers like Fang Zhi served as the gods’ agents.
Starting today, the Second World’s formal invasion of the First World commenced, with the phantom city in the sky serving as its harbinger.
The city phantom has appeared, but what will follow next?
Kui Xin stared broodingly at her phone screen, and then, after a moment of contemplation, she proactively called Yuan Lu.
“The mirage this evening, did you know?” Kui Xin began.
Before she could finish, Yuan Lu responded, “I knew.”
Yuan Lu paused and then struggled to say, “Those were all real cities from the Second World. I saw the phantom of my own city… Yu Qiwen and Xie Ganqing observed theirs too.”
“Is there any discernible pattern?” Kui Xin hastily asked.
“Not yet.” Yuan Lu seemed visibly distressed by this. She continued, “It started with Yu Qiwen noticing it; he recognized his city’s landmark buildings. Damn, I’m already unable to comprehend the situation!”
Holding the phone, Kui Xin walked to the window and gazed up at the boundless night sky.
“I think… it’s a fusion, mutual infiltration, or perhaps even an invasion?” Kui Xin said. “In the foreseeable future, the influence between the two worlds will increasingly intertwine.”
“You’re right.” On the other end of the call, Yuan Lu irritably pounded his head. “Facing this situation, we feel like fools, constantly on edge and fearing what unknown changes might occur next in the world.”
“At least we are aware of these changes; ordinary people know nothing about them. If real danger does arise in the future, they would likely remain blissfully ignorant.” Kui Xin murmured.
This was not only a conflict between players and natives of the Second World, but also a struggle between the First and Second Worlds themselves.
Kui Xin felt as if the two worlds were engaged in a test of strength, with one striving to overpower the other. They simultaneously merged but resisted each other.
She pursed her lips and opened the forum to browse through the posts.
As expected, the forum had erupted into chaos. Numerous users continued to post, identifying their respective cities where phantoms appeared. The descent of city phantoms was global, affecting an astonishingly vast range, and even reaching the awareness of ordinary individuals who witnessed these apparitions.
Previously, although some individuals brought superhuman abilities back to the real world and secret cults committed murders there, these incidents had limited impact, allowing the players to remain well-concealed.
However, the arrival of this mirage had consequences akin to a nuclear explosion. It affected not just the players but also innocent bystanders.
Meanwhile, in a certain country of North America.
A narrow and congested slum street was cordoned off by barriers, with police officers holding megaphones to evacuate people. Many other officers, guns at the ready, used car doors as cover while nervously keeping watch on a dilapidated house.
It was early morning, but multiple bloody incidents had occurred here last night. Initially, the information received by the police indicated a gang turf war in the slums. However, upon their arrival, they discovered that it wasn’t the case—the cause of this bloodshed was just one individual!
He single-handedly killed a fifteen-member gang that had dominated the slums for years before ultimately fleeing.
The police, accompanied by sniffer dogs, followed the scent trail to locate the suspect’s hiding place, now completely surrounded.
Every officer present harbored the same question: How exactly did the suspect manage to do this? Those fifteen individuals were not docile, harmless lambs; they were fierce wolves armed with knives and guns! How could he possibly face their onslaught and successfully escape?
The police confronted the suspect, who was concealed inside the house.
After fifteen minutes, the suspect seemed to lose patience and burst through the door, attempting to make a desperate escape. At that precise moment, the police collectively opened fire. Bullets struck the suspect with metallic clangs; his skin was tougher than steel, blocking the deadly shots.
Police officer Dylan, firing alongside his colleagues, exclaimed in shock, “Fk! Fk!”
He unleashed a string of expletives, starting with ‘F’, so overwhelming that he cursed faster than he could shoot. In addition to his distress, the seemingly superhuman suspect charged towards him, gun in hand, intent on breaking through the blockade.
Realizing bullets were ineffective, Dylan steeled himself, sprinted forward, and tackled the suspect at waist level. Drawing upon his combat training, he managed to take the suspect down, causing the latter’s gun to skid away.
During this takedown, Dylan assessed that the suspect lacked significant physical strength and had no prior fighting experience. His bulletproof abilities were the only reason he remained unscathed.
In that fleeting moment, Dylan noticed blood from the suspect’s gums where his teeth had been jarred—his resilience only applied to his skin; internally, he was still soft!
The suspect moved his hand towards his back waist, seemingly intending to draw another weapon, but Dylan was quicker. With lightning speed, he drew his backup gun, shoved the muzzle into the suspect’s mouth, and pulled the trigger.
With a gunshot, the suspect crumpled to the ground.
Blood splattered amidst the chaos.
Dylan’s colleagues rushed over, supporting him as they exclaimed with lingering fear, “That was close, buddy. We encountered a real monster.”
Dylan stood up, assisted by his colleagues, who guided him to their vehicle.
As he sat down, gasping for breath, a slight vibration emanated from his pocket. Assuming it was his daughter checking on his safety, he took out his phone. However, instead, he found an email waiting for him.
A peculiar expression gradually appeared on his face.
The subject of the email read, “Congratulations! You have been granted access to the Crimson Earth Closed Beta.”
At the same moment, within the game forum, a new official post was highlighted and pinned at the top.
“Game Rules Update.”
First Floor: Inhabitants of the First World can now forcibly gain entry into the Second World by killing players.
For other rules, please continue exploring as players.
Kui Xin browsed the forum and saw this post. She recalled that in the previous official thread outlining game rules, the final sentence also stated, “For other rules, please continue exploring as players.”
This indicated that only newly discovered rules would be summarized and released by the game’s officials. There must still be numerous hidden rules yet to be uncovered within the game!
Now, someone has triggered this rule, meaning… an ordinary person killed a player?