We're safe now...
In a stall of a public restroom, Li Cheng frowned as he changed out of his night clothes into ordinary attire and packed the removed garments into a vacuum-sealed bag.
After detecting the scent of the Master of Insects at the flower and bird market during the day, he decided to follow up and investigate after cautious thought and weighing the pros and cons. He made ample preparation for his involvement in the anomaly.
The night clothes and sunglasses were just one part of the preparation. To prevent leaving fingerprints due to glove loss, he applied glue on the surface of all ten fingers.
To prevent injury to himself and blood splatters, which could lead the police to track his identity through blood analysis, he also carried a small tube of bleach on his person, useful for destroying biological evidence.
Luckily, he didn't need to use either.
Li Cheng put the vacuum-sealed bag into a parcel, climbed over the wall, left the public restroom by jumping over it, and rode away on his bike.
When he returned home it was already late at night. He shut his bedroom door, skillfully covered his computer's camera with a sticky note, plugged in a USB drive, launched the VPN software, and entered the URL of the World Nuclear House.
After a half-second refreshing delay, a simple yet grand webpage appeared.
Its main color scheme was a light green. Under the large font that read "World Nuclear House" were several sections, including company profile, enterprise news, diversified business, services and support, partnership, contact channels, suggestions and complaints, and finally, join World Nuclear House.
"That looks pretty legit."
Li Cheng raised his eyebrows in curiosity and browsed carefully to learn that World Nuclear House was established two and a half years ago, helmed by Zhangsun Yao.
It was a small enterprise similar to a "jack-of-all-trades shop," with over twenty full-time employees and over forty contract workers. As long as the pay was right, they would take on any job, including but not limited to intelligence trading, security services, and arms procurement, among others.
Below was a large image of a girl in a kimono, surrounded by many tiny figures, standing beside an F-15 attack plane developed by Lockheed Martin Company. The picture was accompanied by text:
"Warm congratulations to our employee, Miss Aoi Sora, on acquiring her beloved F-15. Miss Aoi Sora joined World Nuclear House six months ago and, through her own efforts, has proudly secured her beloved plane. A new female presence in the killing fields, she manages career in one hand and family in the other. Her enthusiasm and youthful vigor purchase a fifth-generation fighter jet simply to allow her family members to soar the skies."
Below that was a photo of Zhangsun Yao, dressed in a suit and top hat, pointing her finger and striking the classic "Uncle Sam Wants You" pose.
The accompanying text read, "Your hesitation today may cause you to miss out on future wealth. Join us, and you could be like her."
"What even is all this?"
Li Cheng's head was full of question marks, feeling that this so-called "World Nuclear House" didn't seem very reliable.
Fortunately, he wasn't planning to apply for a job. He was more interested in the forum that Zhangsun Yao had mentioned.
He scrolled the mouse wheel and pulled the page down to the very bottom, where there indeed was a "Summoner Forum" super link.
Clicking the link with apprehension, he saw the webpage slowly refresh, with an image of a singing whale hanging in the middle.
After a few seconds, the webpage finished refreshing and a line of text popped up.
"Hello, Summoner, welcome to the Killing Field Forum.
This website is led by the Whale Song Organization in collaboration with various groups. Much of the basic data is generously shared by all parties and individuals. Some of the pioneers have already left us. We would like to thank them for their contributions and sacrifices and pay tribute to those who have died and those who are on their way to death."
As the words gradually faded away, a forum page appeared on the screen.
The entire website is divided into several sections, including General, Newcomers Guide, Latest News, Black Market Exchange, Anonymous Chatroom, etc.
Most of these sections and the search function are open only to registered users. Guests do not have the right to browse.
Li Cheng tried clicking the register button but was informed that only Summoners could see the verification code, and without the verification code, it was not possible to register an account.
"...Summoner, what exactly is that?"
Li Cheng, full of questions, clicked into the Newcomers Guide interface accessible to guests, where frequently asked questions were explained in a question-and-answer format for those new to the forum.
[Q: What is a killing field?]
[A: Narrowly speaking, the killing field is a massive construction complex beyond Earth. Its location, history, function, and size are unknown (the parts discovered already exceed the entire Solar System). Broadly speaking, the killing field also refers to everything derived from this vast construction complex.]
[Q: Who built the killing field?]
[A: It's currently unknown. The architectural structure of the killing field is extremely chaotic, with modules serving different functions and lacking a basic writing system. However, from the sheer volume of the construction complex alone, one can infer that the technological level of the builders far exceeds the current understanding of human civilization.]
[Q: Who is maintaining the killing field?]
[A: A group of mechanical beings called Gouzhuangs are responsible for the maintenance. It is speculated that the builders created these beings and charged them with the instruction to maintain the killing field. Some Gouzhuangs possess considerable military force and are referred to as Security Guards. They maintain the order within the killing field.]
[Q: What is a Summoner? How does one become a Summoner?]
[A: Starting four and a half years ago, the killing field began to intervene massively on Earth. It selects suitable individuals from Earth at random to join the Slaughter Field Game. This process is called a summons. Summoners typically possess some outstanding trait compared to others, whether positive or negative. Furthermore, a non-Summoner who personally kills a Summoner can inherit their qualifications. Typically, we refer to Summoners as players. At present, the number of players still alive globally is about 270,000. Players can choose to log into the killing field through their personal panel.]
[Q: What do Summoners/Players need to do?]
[A: From time to time, the killing field will issue tasks to players. There are three types of tasks. First, Regular Tasks, triggered randomly, which players can choose to accept or not.
Second: Forced Tasks. Issued periodically by the killing field, which players cannot refuse.
Third: Script Tasks. Issued periodically by the killing field, players will be teleported to a world with other space-time backgrounds (which can be regarded as parallel universes) to execute tasks for the killing field. Players will receive rewards after completing any of these three types of tasks, with the reward level related to the players' endgame performance. The punishment for failure is not fixed.]
[Q: The abilities of Summoners/Players?]
[A: The killing field itself and the creatures it contains possess technology far advanced beyond Earth human understanding. Additionally, the civilizations in script world scenarios also have different development directions from the main Earth (such as sci-fi, fantasy, magic, etc.). Summoners can acquire Extraordinary Powers through learning, cultivation, Skill Scrolls, purchasing equipment, and other means.]
[Q: The dangers faced by Summoners/Players?]
[A: Obviously, the greatest threat of death for players always comes from the various tasks issued by the killing field. The second greatest threat of death comes from the killing field itself. The killing field is not built for players; it contains many dangerous areas (such as Divine Calamity Tower) and experimental subjects. Some experimental subjects may enter the real Earth through fissures. The third greatest threat of death comes from other players. If you encounter the Shadow Realm in reality, it is recommended you flee immediately in the opposite direction.]
[Q: What is the Shadow Realm?]
[A: The Shadow Realm is a projection plane based on the real world. Visibility inside it is low, and objects that are destroyed will recover over time without affecting reality. Some experimental subjects from the killing field have the innate ability to open the Shadow Realm, and those within its range who possess Extraordinary Powers will be automatically involved. Player communities often use the Shadow Realm as a battleground.]
[Q: As a newcomer, what should I do?]
[A: Watch more, listen more, think more. In the early stages of the Slaughter Field Game's integration into reality, 70% of new players did not survive the first three months. Once their identity is exposed in the real world, they are usually kidnapped, threatened, or even killed to take over the player's qualifications. Fortunately, after four and a half years of development, the player's environment has evolved past the savage growth stage. However, joining reliable official organizations and civilian guilds can still significantly increase a newcomer's chance of survival.]