novelraw Chapter 45 : Radiance Assembles
Chapter 45 : Radiance Assembles
Chapter 45: Radiance Assembles
The authorities, who had long been prepared, unleashed their full mobilization with terrifying efficiency.
Under the citywide lockdown and a door-to-door “household registration check,” the newly awakened “players” who had not yet fully adapted to their powers were soon exposed under the all-seeing gaze of the state apparatus.
The first to be “invited” to the base was a young woman named Hailan.
She was a graduate student in marine biology and an avid diver.
On the day the game began, she had been deep-diving in a section of the East Sea.
When the oracle descended, she received the identity of 【Siren】.
To her astonishment, she discovered she could breathe freely underwater as though in air, and could even communicate faintly with the surrounding fish through consciousness.
With a single thought, the seawater around her could swirl into a massive vortex at her will.
It was precisely this abnormal undersea vortex that was detected by the sonar system of a naval submarine patrolling nearby.
After repeated verification ruled out the possibilities of earthquakes or submarine volcanic eruptions, the anomaly report was immediately sent to the Command Center of Bureau 869.
Thus, two days later, when Chen Mo and the operatives from Bureau 869 came to find her, she was still in her bathtub, happily manipulating the water into various shapes midair.
“Hailan, comrade, hello.”
Chen Mo smiled as he extended his hand. “We’ve been waiting for you for quite some time.”
……
And so, under the seamless and all-encompassing search of the state machinery—
The second, the third, the fourth...
More and more 【Radiance】 faction players, whether they appeared voluntarily or were discovered passively, were successively brought to the secret base of Bureau 869.
The disheartened painter who had once briefly crossed paths with Yun Ge—Mo Fan.
He received the identity of 【Painter】, capable of temporarily manifesting his drawings into reality.
Bai Yu, a quiet horticulturist, bore the identity of 【Forest Whisperer】, able to control plants.
Shi Yuan, a somewhat obsessive clock repairer, was 【Time Walker】, capable of accelerating or decelerating time within a limited area.
Meng Chao, a bar singer, held the identity of 【Songstress】, able to emit soundwaves imbued with immense destructive power.
Chu Hanyue, a librarian at Haicheng University, had the identity of 【Frost Whisperer】, whose ability was freezing.
……
Each player of the 【Radiance】 faction was placed in an independent room, evaluated and communicated with by top-tier psychologists and negotiation experts.
Like Li Wei, they had all watched the classified footage of the Jiang City incident, and upon learning of the nation’s Transcendent policy—
Faced with the might of the state and the “goodwill” extended by the authorities, these ordinary people—who had just gained extraordinary powers and were still lost and fearful—
After brief struggles and hesitation, ultimately chose to follow Li Wei’s example and cooperate with the government.
After all, leaning on the mighty tree of the nation was far safer than standing alone.
The final 【Radiance】 player appeared three days later.
His name was Qi Jiang, and he came voluntarily to the public reception center established by Bureau 869 in the city center.
He claimed that after hearing the official recruitment broadcast, he had given it careful thought, decided to trust the nation, and came forward of his own accord.
He wore a worn-out jacket, his hair messy as if he hadn’t slept for days, but his speech was impressive and his logic clear.
His ability was 【Thunder God】, allowing him to control lightning.
In conversation with Chen Mo, he was calm and composed, his understanding of “Game of Gods” deeper than the others’.
He expressed strong approval of the official recruitment and willingly offered to cooperate with all government operations, pledging his service to the nation.
His demeanor left an excellent impression on Chen Mo, Li Wei, and the others.
A perfect teammate—rational, cooperative, powerful, and considerate of the greater good.
Thus, within just a few days, eight 【Radiance】 faction players, each with unique identities and abilities, had been gathered by Bureau 869.
……
And so, on the fifth day after the start of this “Game of Gods.”
Inside a massive circular conference room forged from special alloy.
Eight chairs stood divided on either side of a great round table.
When the heavy alloy doors slowly closed behind them, eight Transcendents—each from different walks of life, with distinct personalities and powers—were assembled together.
They sized one another up, eyes filled with curiosity, vigilance, and a trace of complex emotion.
As the first to join and the only player with an official position, Li Wei naturally became the captain of this “Transcendent Task Force.”
Looking at the so-called “teammates” before him, Li Wei couldn’t help but feel a swell of emotion.
There was a fashionable bar singer who looked playful and carefree;
A cold, silent beauty radiating an aura of “keep away”;
A shy, introverted girl-next-door who didn’t dare meet others’ eyes;
A gentle, bespectacled plant enthusiast;
A detached clock repairer quietly polishing an old pocket watch;
And a disheveled young painter with a touch of melancholy.
Finally, there was the last arrival—the man with a faintly sinister air—Qi Jiang.
These people, under normal circumstances, might never have crossed paths in eight lifetimes.
But now, because of a ridiculous drama called “Game of Gods,” their fates were tightly bound together.
“Everyone, since we’re going to be ‘teammates’ from now on, it’s not much good just sitting here in silence.”
As the officially appointed “captain,” Li Wei felt obliged to break the stillness and lighten the mood.
So he stood and gave a sincere smile. “Let me introduce myself first. I’m Li Wei, codename 【Gun God】. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”
However, his greeting was met only with silence.
Everyone merely watched him cautiously; no one responded.
Li Wei scratched his head awkwardly.
At that moment, the man named Qi Jiang suddenly stood up in an easygoing manner.
“All right, all right, don’t just sit there like a bunch of mute gourds.”
He grinned at Li Wei. “Name’s Qi Jiang. I play with thunder.”
Saying that, he strode right up to the silent Shi Yuan and slapped him on the shoulder.
“Brother, what about you? You look all prim and proper—what do you do?”
Shi Yuan’s brows furrowed instantly. He subtly shifted his body sideways to avoid Qi Jiang’s hand, a flash of clear disdain in his eyes, but said nothing.
Qi Jiang, brushed off but unbothered, swaggered back to his seat and crossed one leg over the other.
Though his behavior was somewhat brash and untimely, his interruption indeed eased the tension that had frozen the room.
Just then, the heavy alloy doors of the meeting room slowly opened.
Surrounded by a group of experts, Chen Mo stepped inside.
“Everyone, welcome to the Bureau of Transcendent Affairs.”