Chapter 32-Game Descent: I Am the Sole Player
Chapter 32
Magnificent desert rock formations rose in jagged clusters. A shimmering blue pool wound between the rocks on either side, and beige tents pitched beneath the formations cast cool shadows. Nestled in that shade were plush white sofas, positioned perfectly to take in the desert's most breathtaking sunset. Further out stood unique structures built around the desert rock, blending natural ruggedness with futuristic design.
This was one of the world's most celebrated luxury desert resorts. Its refinement and opulence seemed entirely untouched by the game's arrival.
Yet the wine glasses had been set aside on a nearby table. The people seated on the sofas had long lost any mood for leisure.
"Your Royal Highness, you are already among the top three strongest human players in the world. There is truly no need to rush further. The number two, Lin Haiying... we cannot afford to antagonise China. Rumour has it that her current role is extraordinary. If the reports are true... we had best pray that the Chinese side can hold the line."
Fahad Sultan, dressed in his white robe, gazed out at the endless desert and narrowed his eyes. "And Tyrant? No leads at all?"
"We cannot rule out the possibility that Tyrant's country is concealing the information. Although the name 'Tyrant' uses Chinese characters, someone who can hide their identity this well might be using a Chinese name as another layer of disguise."
"What you're telling me is that aside from the fact that Tyrant killed Charlie Anderson — which the entire world already knows — we know nothing?"
The Crown Prince's tone was unmistakably angry. The advisor hastily bowed his head lower. "But that piece of information is extraordinarily valuable to us. We have a thorough understanding of Charlie Anderson's capabilities, and our people have already located the site of their battle. We should be able to uncover many clues about Tyrant's abilities."
"With those clues, we can prepare far more thoroughly," the advisor continued.
Fahad Sultan nodded. He was no headstrong brute. He had originally planned to use his Position Swap on Charlie Anderson. His Talent, [City of Tomorrow], could generate a unique spatial domain that blocked external weaponry and firepower — a perfect counter.
He had just ordered his advisory team to begin preparations when that foolish brute went and challenged Tyrant with zero intelligence. That he died so quickly was not the least bit surprising!
Unfortunately, the generous levelling experience had all been fed to Tyrant. That made the situation considerably more complicated.
The game had only been here for seven days, but they had known for months that the world was changing in unusual ways. Though the upheaval had come far faster and more absurdly than they had imagined, they remained the masters of this desert. The game had granted extraordinary abilities to some ordinary people, but that did not mean those people were qualified to overturn their order.
Yet they had to admit: Tyrant's existence created a certain uncontrollable pressure.
The first-place reward on the leaderboard — "Game Authority" — was far too tempting. From his position as Crown Prince, Fahad Sultan did not know the specifics of Game Authority, but he could keenly sense that it might represent an opportunity to dominate the new order.
The ten-minute Position Swap battle had temporarily suppressed many restless hearts. But only temporarily.
When the prize was enticing enough, even the guillotine was worth charging through.
"By the way — the newcomer at 92nd, Fatima. Have you sent people to find her?"
The name's cultural flavour made it easy to narrow down the region. The countries sharing this stretch of desert were few, and the name Fatima very likely placed her origin in the area ravaged by Charlie Anderson.
At this thought, Fahad Sultan grew suspicious. Fatima's appearance on the leaderboard coincided exactly with Tyrant's killing of Charlie Anderson, and her location was equally suggestive...
"Oh, of course," the advisor replied. "We will ensure that every top player in this desert is enlisted in Your Highness's great endeavour."
"I am not looking for her because of the City of Tomorrow initiative. She very likely witnessed their battle firsthand... and may have even seen Tyrant's true face."
The more Fahad Sultan thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. He ordered the advisor to dispatch additional men. Finding Fatima was the top priority.
After issuing these orders, he settled back into the plush sofa to enjoy his leisure once more. The entire resort served him alone, but he was not here for pleasure. A supremely powerful monster roamed this desert, and he had come for the experience and items it would yield.
Yet Fahad Sultan had barely relaxed before his advisor returned, face contorted with distress, and whispered the latest news into his ear.
"All the men we sent have lost contact? What does that mean — they're all dead?"
The advisor stammered: "Let me confirm the reports again..."
"Fools! Every last one of you, fools! Given an opportunity and all you've shown me is your sheer incompetence... What are you standing around for? Send more men to capture Fatima alive!" Fahad Sultan flew into a rage. "And whoever else is alive in that area besides the 92nd-ranked Fatima — find them and determine who killed our people!"
Restless, scorching winds spiralled endlessly through the desert canyons.
The wind in Qianxi Town, by contrast, carried a damp, brackish tang. The scent of mountain soil diluted the smell of blood, leaving only a faint, melancholic undertone.
The mayor directed a skeleton crew of workers operating excavators to clear corpses from the concrete roads, field ridges, and interiors of buildings — human and mutated animal alike.
After days of apocalypse, some villagers eyed the massive animal carcasses and drooled. If not for the parasitic fish lice still unaccounted for, someone would probably have already dragged a carcass home to cook.
Su Cuifang discovered a mangled corpse near the Activity Centre. She could barely make out that it had been a two-headed creature. She recognised it as her late mother's guard dog, Wangcai. Using a shovel conjured from her ability, she found a plot on the nearby hillside and buried the old dog's remains alongside some of her mother's belongings.
"Mum, I can't look after Wangcai for you anymore. You two take care of each other." Su Cuifang murmured as she secretly tucked a precious peach into the grave as well.
Shen Yang, meanwhile, collected her friend's belongings and placed them in the car — the same car that had brought them to Qianxi Town was itself now a relic. Their teacher had brought the three of them here; now only she and one other roommate remained.
Bai Shan ate lunch at the Activity Centre. She had been on watch all night and dragged into a fight at noon. The moment she lay down, exhaustion hit her all at once, and she accidentally slept the entire afternoon.
By the time the sun was nearly setting, she finally drifted awake.
She had just sat up in bed, still slightly groggy, when a game notification popped up before her eyes. She was instantly alert.
[Talent "Personal Domain" has unlocked Skill 2 — Assassination Room!]
Bai Shan glanced out the window at the fading daylight and judged the time to be around 6 p.m. Fatima had actually reached level 20 and unlocked Skill 2 in a single afternoon?
"Never judge a book by its cover."
She had assumed that after such an ordeal, Fatima would need at least a day to recover from the psychological trauma before taking action.
Wonderful — her spacious portable domain was finally —
...Wait. Assassination Room? That did not sound quite like the supersized storage space she had been wishing for.
Bai Shan hurriedly opened her game panel and checked Fatima's Talent [Personal Domain] under [Admonition].
[Talent: Personal Domain (B) Skill 1: Storage Room One cubic metre of storage space. Can store any item except living creatures. Skill 2: Assassination Room The Assassination Room is a deathly silent space devoid of air. Only the user may enter and exit at any time. (Be careful not to suffocate yourself) Skill 3: Unlocks at Level 50 Skill 4: Unlocks at Level 90]
Bai Shan took several deep breaths, then tried entering Skill 2: [Assassination Room].
She slipped into a strange space. Her surroundings still looked the same, and she could move freely around the original room, but her body felt extraordinarily light — so light it was as if she did not exist.
She tried pushing the window open and found her hand passed through the solid frame, like a ghost.
Creak — the door suddenly opened. Lin Huijun poked her head in, looked around, and wore a puzzled expression.
"Where's Bai Shan?" she said.
Standing by the window and watching Lin Huijun, Bai Shan understood. The Assassination Room was an invisibility skill — however long you could hold your breath was how long you could stay invisible!
Cough cough!
Bai Shan held her breath until Lin Huijun's footsteps had faded, holding it so long her cheeks flushed red.
Although it was not the supersized portable space she had wished for, [Assassination Room] was no less impressive. Its implications were arguably even more far-reaching than extra storage.
It meant she could be an assassin!
Tomorrow's Dominator did not assign players to class roles or anything of the sort, but in practice, different Talents lent themselves to different playstyles. Bai Shan's previous abilities had made her something like a ranged mage. [Assassination Room] now opened the door to being an assassin.
Imagine: at any place, at any time, there could be an invisible Tyrant lurking nearby. What a wonderful surprise that would be!
The lung-capacity demands were a bit steep, though. Bai Shan could currently hold her breath for about 50 seconds, giving her roughly 50 seconds of invisibility.
Bai Shan had not expected that a spur-of-the-moment whim would yield such a fine return. Fatima's Talent was only rated B, and a B rating merely indicated low destructive power — it did not necessarily mean the ability was not useful.
Even before this, Bai Shan had noticed that a Talent's abilities were closely tied to the player's own nature. The Skill 2 that Fatima unlocked should have been what she herself most needed at that moment.
"Stay alive a little longer," Bai Shan murmured toward the window. "Let me see the potential of a B-tier."
With a new skill in hand, Bai Shan was in a good mood. And when she was in a good mood, she tended to become generous. She decided not to bother the mayor today; she would wait until tomorrow, after the game announced the Phase Two rules.
For many of those still alive, this night was the most peaceful and serene of the past seven days.
Charlie Anderson's defeat had cowed a wave of his ilk. High-profile killing might be efficient for levelling, but it also drew collective wrath. Having one's personal information splashed across the world was a dangerous thing.
Many had already realised that no Talent held an absolute advantage over another. Even the strong had fatal weaknesses. The Tyrant, who was flamboyant in battle yet invisible in person, was both phenomenally powerful and strikingly foresighted!
Ordinary people, too, shed the oppressive feeling of being chased by the reaper.
Tonight there was no clearance pressure. Even the mutated flora and fauna seemed quieter, as though a herd of animals had stumbled upon an oasis in the desert. Before that precious watering hole, predator and prey set aside their enmity and quietly lapped at the precious water.
Even if this was the calm before the storm, for now, one could only savour the peace.
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