novelraw Chapter 214: All Eyes on Me! Elders’ Council
Chapter 214: All Eyes on Me! Elders’ Council
【System Exploiter; Epic-tier Badge.】
【Grants partial immunity when facing attacks caused by system loopholes.
Grants bonuses when using system loopholes offensively.
Increased rewards for discovering loopholes.】
A very straightforward description. In fact, this time while wearing the Greed Mask, many of Lu Ce’s actions—intentional or not—were aimed at triggering this thing.
But in the end, he realized that there had never been any additional display at all.
Fortunately, he now received a badge upgrade, directly making up for all his losses.
Almost subconsciously, Lu Ce nodded with some satisfaction. Having just exited the Overload state, he still hadn’t fully shaken off that insatiable hunger like a python wanting to swallow an elephant.
The epic-tier badge gradually changed to a legendary-tier color. From this point on, Lu Ce finally had his second legendary-tier badge.
【System Exploiter (Epic) → Rule Grinder (Legendary)!】【Description: A madman who doesn’t care about rules and tramples all restraints, grinding everything like a meat grinder.】
【Function: While breaking any rules, you will not suffer instant-death penalties.】
【Example: Phrases like “Doing A will kill you” will no longer apply to you, though death-inducing consequences might still occur.】
【All instances of clearing a game by defying the rules will earn extra rewards.】
Lu Ce: ……
“Guess that counts as an upgrade.”
“But it kinda feels like the functions got replaced instead of upgraded? Like something a stingy third-rate game dev would do……”
Lu Ce still had to insult the game a bit even after profiting, but that was about it—he didn’t go too far.
Instead, he turned to look at the new legendary-tier weapon he had received this round.
This game had very few rewards. The most valuable, the core item, was this: 【Focus Beacon.】
Legendary-tier weapons have high potential; the key lies in how they are used.
【Description: All eyes on me, I’ve got an announcement!】
Lu Ce: ……
For a moment, he actually felt a bit of dislike.
【Unique Effect: Attracts everyone’s gaze and attention.】
【Note: Depending on the user’s willpower and mental strength, the effect radius ranges from ten meters to ten thousand meters. During use, it consumes large amounts of mental strength and sanity.】
After reading it, Lu Ce didn’t immediately know what it was for, starting to suspect the game’s targeting against him was becoming obvious.
What exactly is this supposed to do? Is this really what a legendary-tier weapon should be like?
Just look at Xie Antong’s legendary-tier weapon—All-Seeing Eye.
And what did he get? “All eyes on me”?
He wasn’t sure how to judge it. Ever since he began contemplating the nature of the game, many things had started to feel terrifying upon closer thought.
“Sigh, I still hope there’s more time.”
“Even if you're just trying to toy with an ant, you wouldn’t want the opponent to be too weak, right.....”
In the empty space, only Lu Ce’s voice echoed in self-talk. No one answered, and there was no echo.
He touched his head. He had never believed his mask had any real side effects, but this Overload still left him a bit shaken.
The danger of losing oneself is on par with losing one's life.
Luckily, his baseline sanity ensured there was no mindless killing and he didn’t get himself killed.
Of course, this was also related to the type of mask he chose.
“Uh… right before I exited, I think I did something unnecessary……”
At that moment, Lu Ce’s rationality was battling the mask. Overload was ending, and reason had the upper hand.
In that chaotic mental state, he ended up saying quite a lot to Xie Antong.
Purely by his nature, he should’ve been “don’t hurt the other party, but avoid communication if possible.”
“Click……”
……
On the other side, Blank—Xie Antong—returned to her high-tech-filled room.
Every time she exited the game, she felt like she was being dragged from a supernatural world back into boring reality.
This made the emotional crash even worse, and the internal stress piled higher. Coupled with the feeling of “becoming an ordinary person” after exiting…
It only made everything more painful.
She wasn’t physically hurt much, and even that was already treated with potions, but her psychological trauma was maxed out. After coming out, she could barely stand, collapsing onto a chair.
A strong self-destructive impulse instinctively drove her toward the window. That overwhelming desire to escape this world made her think of death.
This was the most severe it had ever been.
But when she reached the window, she saw her own reflection—she saw the smile on her face.
In that instant, she froze.
Then, she gently touched the corner of her mouth. And surprisingly, she turned around and went straight back to her analysis station.
She began reviewing the first-person perspective of “Sin” in this round.
She had this nagging feeling that “Sin” did too much this time.
And more importantly, he actually held the line at the scariest bottom edge of his mask’s side effects.
“I’m going… to find you!”
……
Elsewhere, in a room without any decoration, with exposed cement floors, several figures stirred within, the atmosphere stifling.
This was a nuclear missile silo 200 meters underground, a relic of the Cold War, still designated as a top-level secure and fortified Tianxing star site.
At the door stood a wooden plaque with three characters carved into it by blade.
—Elders’ Council.
Inside the Elders’ Council, a projection screen hovered mid-air, seemingly cast from someone’s eyes, displaying images with light and shadow.
On screen—it was Lu Ce’s gameplay footage!
Here, these people had watched Lu Ce’s gameplay more than once.
But never like this—with such gravity, ignoring all other players, watching only Lu Ce, and so intently.
Even now, they were still replaying it over and over again, scene by scene.
“Not bad.”
Finally, in the endless silence, someone spoke, their voice hoarse.
“They say the strongest on the surface isn’t the real strongest. But this strongest… is truly strong.”
“Impressive.”
Once the words landed, the atmosphere sank back into silence. No one responded, as if there was a shared understanding among them.
……
“What a pity.”
At last, someone else spoke, voice like rusted metal, full of regret—even tinged with sadness.
“He’s probably… already been marked, hasn’t he……”