Chapter 195: I'm Playing Myself in a Virtual Reality Game?
The Disaster of the Mechanists?
Rast stared at the historical background information unfolding in his mind and fell into deep thought.
As a transmigrator, he naturally wasn’t unfamiliar with terms like the “Disaster of the Mechanists”.
The historical echoes generated within the Nightworld often corresponded to catastrophes that once occurred in a past civilization, and were used as historical settings—
For instance, the historical echoes he had previously experienced respectively corresponded to the “Iron Cross Plague” that occurred in the Deep Blue Port during the Steam Age, and the “Crimson Moon Mist” from the Dark Era.
And now, Rast was situated in the near-future Science-Fiction Era... with an artificial intelligence and mechanical rebellion-based crisis of the Mechanists serving as the background catastrophe, which did seem rather fitting.
However—
Rast glanced outside at the traffic and the serene, picturesque view of the Modern Metropolis.
Clearly, the so-called “Disaster of the Mechanists” was still in a dormant stage, gradually building up beneath the surface, yet to reach the moment of full-scale eruption.
It was just like the loop Rast once experienced in the Deep Blue Port, where each round followed a 24-hour day. During the first twelve hours, the entire city remained peaceful, and he could still live like an ordinary person, playing at roleplay in the calm port town.
Then came the sudden upheaval in the second twelve hours—the Iron Cross Plague would erupt, transforming the entire Deep Blue Port into the Iron Cross’s paradise... and Rast’s gameplay would abruptly shift from The Sims, Grand Theft Auto, Host Club Simulator to Resident Evil, Dying Light, and The Last of Us.
This current historical echo seemed to follow a similar pattern.
The world appeared tranquil now, but surging undercurrents were steadily amassing in the shadows, merely awaiting the moment when the catastrophe would fully descend.
If one only sought the most basic route to survival, then it would suffice to wait for the “Disaster of the Mechanists” described in the background to arrive, and then find a way to survive the crisis.
If mere survival was the goal, Rast didn’t consider it to be particularly difficult for himself.
Perhaps for ordinary Fifth or Sixth Tier Night Travelers, this so-called “Disaster of the Mechanists” was extremely dangerous, but evidently, the civilization of the final Sixth Era had ultimately survived this disaster, which indicated it wasn’t a guaranteed death trap.
Moreover, he had even tricked Dean Silver, an external ally, into joining in. Speaking purely in terms of survivability, Rast believed there weren’t many in this world who surpassed him.
However, Rast’s purpose this time was not merely to clear the Nightworld—he sought to uncover its hidden truths, the clues concerning Canaan, Xiao Ai, and his own true identity.
With this in mind, Rast shifted his focus back to the “Optional Quests” listed beneath the Nightworld information.
Clearly, compared to the mere goal of surviving and clearing the game, those two inconspicuous lines of optional quests were likely more deeply intertwined with the profound secrets within this Nightworld.
“Explore the Mechanical Research Institute involved in the Artificial Angel Project and uncover the truth of the Disaster of the Mechanists?”
“Seems like this imminent Disaster of the Mechanists must be inextricably linked to the Artificial Angel Project... Artificial mechanical angels and the rebellion of the Mechanists—just hearing that sounds suspicious. Perhaps the former was even the cause of the latter.”
“Except... why does it feel like something utterly baffling snuck into the optional quests?”
Rast stared at the line 【Optional Quest 1: Participate in the limited-time event ‘Deep Blue Port Speedrun Challenge’ in the virtual reality game Shoreguards’ Ode, and achieve first place】 and lapsed into prolonged silence.
Shoreguards’ Ode—that was the name of the virtual reality game that had taken the entire continent by storm.
According to the intel from Dean Silver, both the virtual reality game Shoreguards’ Ode and the Artificial Angel Project were the final two legacies left to the civilization of the Sixth Era by Grey before she vanished abruptly after transcending into an angel.
Many players believed that among these two legacies lay the secrets left behind by Grey... secrets tied to the reason behind her disappearance, and that by fully uncovering these secrets, it might be possible to locate the whereabouts of Leader Grey.
Of course, in Dean Silver’s words, it was also possible that these players were just hopeless internet addicts trying to give their addiction a noble excuse.
Still, this limited-time event, “Deep Blue Port Speedrun Challenge”...
If one discounted the minuscule chance of a mere namesake coincidence, then the only explanation was that this referred to the very same “Deep Blue Port” he had once experienced—
“Rast, come here, quick!”
“I told you, I didn’t join this game because I’m addicted—I’m helping you investigate clues about the Artificial Angel Project and Canaan!”
“Look, I already found a lead for you! A way into the Mechanical Research Institute responsible for the Artificial Angel Project!”
From the nearby computer desk came the shrill shouting of Dean Silver, snapping Rast out of his musings.
When Rast approached the desk, he saw Dean Silver crouched atop it, her tiny paws dancing madly over the keyboard, nearly conjuring afterimages with her frenzied typing.
Within the massive surrounding screen, lines of text were being rapidly typed out, indicating that Dean Silver was passionately arguing with people online.
It appeared to be a question-and-answer forum for enthusiasts of Shoreguards’ Ode, where users frequently posed questions and others eagerly responded—eerily reminiscent of a platform from Rast’s past life.
Rast sat beside the computer desk and watched with Dean Silver for a while, discovering that most of the questions were absurd hypotheticals like: “If the Shoreguards of the Dark Era were supplied with instant noodles daily, could they conquer the Western Continent within three years?” Most questions revolved around Shoreguards from centuries ago, following the outbreak of the Iron Cross Plague during the Dark Era—
And Rast’s own name had become the hottest trending term, mentioned and discussed repeatedly in those threads.
Rast glanced at the search bar—two-thirds of the forum’s trending searches were related to him, while the remaining third were about Cisel and Grey.
Tap tap tap—
Dean Silver’s tiny paws danced across the keyboard in a flurry of afterimages, only pausing after an impressive display of phantom swordsmanship.
She took out a little cup custom-made for her body size from her Sub-Dimension, sipped some water, and then decisively struck the enter key, sending off a post that began with: “Thanks for the invite, I’m at the Watchtower.”
“These people are actually arguing over whether the ‘Hero Forgotten by Time’ Rast preferred cats or dogs... and their reasoning is that Grey, who inherited Rast’s will, later raised a cat—absolutely ridiculous!”
“Rast obviously liked ferrets more! Those fancy cats and dogs are nothing compared to the cuteness of a ferret!”
Dean Silver fumed at the screen, ranting non-stop until she noticed Rast beside her and finally quieted down.
“Oh, you’re here—”
“Perfect timing. So, tell me—do you like cats or dogs more?”
“My favorite is obviously adorable, soft, clingy little ferrets like Dean Silver. Satisfied now?”
Rast lifted Dean Silver into his arms and raised her high. “Now can you tell me about the clue you called me over for?”
“Much better. I didn’t waste all my care for you.”
Dean Silver’s fluffy white tail immediately wagged in joy.
“The clue I mentioned is this—the limited-time event in Shoreguards’ Ode, the ‘Deep Blue Port Speedrun Challenge’.”
She switched the webpage to what appeared to be an official game announcement and began reading it out loud, word for word.
“In this limited-time event, players will time-travel back three hundred years to the Dark Era, to the first year of the Cataclysmic Calendar.”
“You will take on the role of the ancient Shoreguard hero Rast, arriving in Deep Blue Port on the eve of the Iron Cross Plague outbreak, facing the same desperate crisis Rast once endured—”
“Confront the Iron Cross ravaging the city, the cultists, and the descending half-body of the Evil God... Will you, like the hero Rast, survive the endless crisis?”
“Or will you surpass what he achieved?”
Dean Silver scrolled the mouse, closed the official game announcement page, and wagged her tail. “That’s it. This fully immersive virtual reality game, Shoreguards’ Ode—”
“Seems like it was created by Grey, using the power of her ‘Fate’ Sequence to rewind and reconstruct the past, making a game based on old histories.”
“And this kind of limited-time event is one of the core gameplay mechanics of Shoreguards’ Ode, allowing players to fully immerse themselves in virtual reality, relive historic fragments, and directly face the trials those historical figures once encountered.”
“I checked the game’s previous announcements. One earlier event had players return to the eve of the Battle of the Fractured Coastline, challenging them to change the outcome of that battle.”
“Well? Doesn’t that sound eerily similar to the nature of the Nightworld—so much so it’s almost frightening?”
Dean Silver glanced at Rast, her gem-like ruby beast eyes taking on a hint of solemnity.
“Yeah, it’s a little too similar.”
Rast nodded in agreement.
Having players relive history and experience past fragments... wasn’t that precisely the underlying principle of the Nightworld?
The only difference was that the former used technological devices like a “virtual reality game headband,” while the Nightworld’s entry into Historical Echoes felt utterly seamless, almost like true transmigration.
Rast had a vague suspicion that this game called Shoreguards’ Ode might have been an early prototype—an accumulated trial.
Perhaps even the precursor to the “Nightworld”...
“As for the clue I mentioned, it’s hidden within the ‘Deep Blue Port Speedrun Challenge’ limited-time event.”
“According to the official statement from Shoreguards’ Ode, the player who scores first place in the ‘Deep Blue Port Speedrun Challenge’ will receive an invitation to visit and join the Mechanical Research Institute involved in the ‘Artificial Angel Project’.”
Dean Silver looked at Rast. “So far, the core secrets of the Sixth Era civilization—including the clues you seek about Canaan—should all be hidden within that Mechanical Research Institute tied to the ‘Artificial Angel Project’.”
“And since Shoreguards’ Ode and the Artificial Angel Project were both left behind by Grey, it’s clear there’s some deeper connection between them.”
“Completing this challenge and being invited to the Artificial Angel Project and the Mechanical Research Institute is likely a shortcut.”
“Of course, alternatively, you could try forcibly tracking down the Mechanical Research Institute in this world and uncover its secrets through infiltration or brute force...”
Dean Silver paused slightly. “But if you fail, that might mean going to war with an entire civilization. You’d better be mentally prepared—given the prosperity of this era, there’s probably more than one Legendary powerhouse stationed here.”
“Don’t expect too much from me. At best, I’ll help you escape—I’m not going toe-to-toe with a Legendary.”
“I understand.”
Rast nodded.
No wonder the Nightworld task panel had listed those two optional quests—
Clearly, participating in Shoreguards’ Ode’s limited-time event and uncovering the secrets behind the Artificial Angel Project and the Disaster of the Mechanists were closely connected—the former being a prerequisite to the latter.
He looked out the window at the bustling Modern Metropolis: “This was the order and civilization that little Grey spent two hundred years rebuilding atop a broken wasteland.”
“If possible, I’d prefer not to push this world to the brink of war.”
“Besides—”
He looked at the small game headband on the desk and paused slightly: “Playing as myself in a historical game is actually a pretty novel experience.”
“To speedrun Deep Blue Port again... if I still can’t get first place, I might as well go buy a brick and bash my own head in.”
“Yay! Now that’s the spirit!”
Dean Silver visibly brightened at Rast’s answer.
“This virtual reality headband is designed for humans—ferrets can’t even use it. Terrible design! No care for user experience at all!”
“But if you play, I can watch your livestream on the main screen and spam some bullet comments.”
“So, Dean Silver, you really just want to argue with bullet comments, don’t you?”