Chapter 41-Game Descent: I Am the Sole Player

Chapter 41

Stepping out the villa's front door, crisp air washed over them.

Without human activity to pollute it, the world seemed to have been brushed with a coat of fresh colour. As for the bloodshed and filth — now that the frenzied chaos of the game's first phase had ended, they were temporarily papered over, tucked away in deeper places.

At least that was how Nanzhou City appeared. The second challenge [Tomorrow's Dominator] had issued was more brutal than the first, yet people had begun adapting to the new environment. Without the first phase's urgent pressure to level up, the question of humanity's survival one month from now was not something any individual could worry about alone. Some people had actually relaxed.

So far, with 95% of the population gone, the strain on the environment and food supply was not severe. Under the Player Association's leadership, dangerous Mutated Creatures had become quest check-in points. Residents could walk the streets without undue fear.

As a result, Nanzhou City attracted more and more outsiders — not every city was this fortunate, after all.

"This neighbourhood is mostly students who came to Nanzhou from out of town. The university I attended has been taken over by the chrysanthemums, so I'm living here with some fellow out-of-town alumni."

Huang Yuci, still wearing yesterday's yellow windbreaker, led Bai Shan and Lin Huijun on a stroll around the neighbourhood. The houses here were small, old, and somewhat rundown, but reasonably intact. The cramped spacing made it easy to band together — any sign of danger could be relayed quickly.

The downside was the annoying mutated insects. Every so often, an infant-sized cockroach would scuttle through an alley, as nimble and flexible as a rat.

Huang Yuci knew that spotting one cockroach meant many more lurked in the shadows. She had a nagging suspicion that the derelict buildings nearby — or the sewers — had already become cockroach nests. She simply preferred not to think too hard about it.

"...Chrysanthemums took over your school?"

Listening to Huang Yuci's account, Lin Huijun struggled to picture how chrysanthemums could overrun an entire university.

Her impression of chrysanthemums was still the dazzling specimens at flower exhibitions and the noble "gentleman's bloom" from her textbooks. She truly could not imagine chrysanthemums attacking people. Did they open their petals and swallow you whole, like a carnivorous plant in a video game?

The mention of her school sent Huang Yuci's already ample chattiness into overdrive. She huffed: "The fact that I'm standing here in front of you today required both skill and luck. The chrysanthemums look harmless — we nearly fell for it ourselves..."

Initially, Huang Yuci's university had mainly been plagued by mutated animals. An entire dormitory building's worth of people had pooled their efforts to defend the building. Within two days, the surrounding mutated animals vanished without a trace.

"We thought we'd pulled off a movie-hero team victory, so we didn't raise our guard right away. All the trees and weeds around the dorm had withered and died."

"Even though every plant nearby was dead, we could smell a sweet, fresh, botanical fragrance every day."

"The scent was incredibly relaxing. Nobody even felt anxious about levelling up anymore. I'm someone who loves to eat, and yet even my appetite felt satisfied by the fragrance alone — I couldn't muster any interest in snacks."

Lin Huijun understood. "The chrysanthemums were releasing a scent to bewitch you."

"Exactly. But at the time everyone was under its spell — nobody could have imagined a monster like that existed. I felt something was off, but I didn't dare go out alone to investigate."

Huang Yuci shuddered at the memory. "It was Cheng Yue who came with a team later. That's when we learned the campus was infested with terrifying Mutated Chrysanthemums. My dorm building was fortunately far away. The ones closer to the chrysanthemums..."

"Many students voluntarily buried themselves in the soil. The lawns on campus had all been dug up, overgrown with chrysanthemums — I have full-blown PTSD from chrysanthemums now."

It sounded somewhat similar to the Strangler Banyan Bai Shan had dealt with. Mutated Creatures that could tamper with the mind were far more terrifying than giant beasts, though they were equally unlucky — barely getting started before encountering overpowered human players.

Globally, however, there were surely powerful and fortunate plant-type players that had already become regional overlords.

Bai Shan recalled the characteristics of chrysanthemums. "Chrysanthemums are naturally aggressive plants. They're adept at releasing allelopathic chemicals to suppress other plants' growth, then dominate the area."

If the animal kingdom's battles were bloody and visceral, the plant kingdom's wars were silent and ruthless. The Asteraceae and Orchidaceae families were both masters of "eliminating the competition."

This was why Bai Shan enjoyed studying and observing nature. Realising that life had such a rich array of survival strategies made her own path feel wider.

Huang Yuci, of course, did not share the sentiment. She had nearly been driven to her death by life's rich diversity and would happily never deal with it again.

But cruel reality left her no choice. She had to engage with these creatures frequently if she wanted to level up and grow stronger.

"Enough about the past. Right now, all the Mutated Creatures in Nanzhou City are within manageable limits. The most dangerous mutated animals have been largely wiped out by Cheng Yue and the organisation's top players. The only tricky ones are the birds flocking at the Wetlands and the Koi in South Lake — their sheer numbers make them hard to deal with, but they're harmless as long as you keep your distance."

"A few of the mutated plants are more problematic — those are Special-Class Missions. For example, the ginkgo at the Ancient Temple. I've heard it's basically unkillable. But that's none of our business as ordinary people — we're not allowed near it."

Lin Huijun was eager to level up. She pressed: "What are the requirements for taking on a mission like that?"

Huang Yuci glanced at her first, then let her eyes dart around nervously. Bai Shan read the look and spoke up: "No need for eye exercises. Nobody's listening here."

They had wandered into a deserted alley. A million people in what had once been a bustling metropolis left it feeling cavernous. The mutated critters in the surrounding alleys probably outnumbered the humans, but they were not mindless zombie-monsters that attacked on sight. They retained sharp survival instincts — just as a rabbit would never charge a tiger.

"Connections."

Huang Yuci said bluntly.

"After the game descended, wealth and capital became worthless paper. Strength, level, and Talent reign supreme — that's an undeniable fact."

Huang Yuci dropped her usual flippant air and spoke in dead earnest:

"We understand that. They understand it even better. Powerful Mutated Creatures that yield experience and items are the equivalent of rare mineral deposits — oil, coal — resources they desperately want to exploit."

"Classifying players and Mutated Creatures into tiers — is it for protection, or to help the organisation monopolise resources? Perhaps both. But for them, the latter is absolutely the priority."

"Can you even imagine how absurd the level gap among Nanzhou City's players will become over time? Aren't they just creating a new class system?"

Huang Yuci's tone grew increasingly agitated. Then she turned to Bai Shan, her gaze darkening.

"Everything I just said — those are the worries of an ordinary person. You're strong, Bai Shan. Under normal circumstances, as long as you're willing to accept the organisation's olive branch, the two of you would live very well in Nanzhou City..."

"'Normal circumstances'?" Bai Shan caught the dark undercurrent in Huang Yuci's words at once. "Are you saying these aren't normal circumstances?"

Huang Yuci's eyes began to drift again, as if she herself was not entirely sure.

A glint flickered in Bai Shan's dark eyes. She suddenly raised her hand, thumb and forefinger pinching a strange piece of pinkish flesh that quivered faintly.

"This thing is called a Parasitic Tongue. Shove it in someone's mouth and they'll tell the truth."

Huang Yuci's face drained of colour. She clapped both hands over her mouth in a panic. "Hey — sure, I've taken a few small favours from you, so we're basically employer and contractor. But threatening me like this is going too far!"

A flash of amusement darted through Bai Shan's eyes. She tossed the pink lump into the air, and it vanished mid-flight, returning to her item inventory.

"I was just airing it out. Go on."

Bai Shan slipped her hands nonchalantly back into her jacket pockets.

"I hesitated because I wasn't sure. If you misjudge the situation because of something I said, the consequences could be serious — but since you insist on hearing it." Huang Yuci spoke with a note of throwing caution to the wind. "The organisation is probably going to kill you!"

The words hung in the air. Lin Huijun's expression shifted; the lazy haze in Bai Shan's eyes sharpened a fraction.

"How do you know?" Bai Shan asked. She did not question the claim — she was simply curious about Huang Yuci's source.

Huang Yuci seemed to have some connection to Cheng Yue, but would someone Cheng Yue trusted leak intelligence like this to an outsider she had known for barely two days? Bai Shan's gaze turned probing, edged with danger.

"I figured it out from scrolling the Nanzhou City channel."

Huang Yuci said matter-of-factly, a touch of pride in her voice.

Bai Shan and Lin Huijun let out a simultaneous, bewildered "huh?"

"Have you not been following the channel? Starting yesterday evening, a wave of posts targeting you appeared, working to paint you as a dangerous element. The organisation has dealt with 'dangerous elements' before."

"Based on my years of experience — and what I've learned about the organisation these past few days — this is absolutely not organic. It's a coordinated astroturfing campaign!"

The corner of Bai Shan's mouth twitched. "Your years of experience in what, exactly?"

"My four years and 200,000 followers of experience as a major Cheng Yue fan." Huang Yuci sounded even prouder.

"If the organisation wants to kill me, the person they'd most likely send is Cheng Yue. And you're Cheng Yue's devoted fan..."

Sensing Bai Shan's gaze growing increasingly dangerous, Huang Yuci hastily laid all her cards on the table:

"I'm Cheng Yue's major fan account 'Tianshui Street Moon Picker,' and simultaneously a major fan of Cheng Yue's rival Tang Xin under the handle 'Tangxin Egg Level-10 Enthusiast.' I also run 'Entertainment Power Generator,' a 100k-follower entertainment gossip account, and 'Idol Fashion Center,' a video repost account on a certain streaming site..."

"All seven accounts combined — only around two million followers, give or take."

At this point, Huang Yuci unconsciously puffed out her chest.

Lin Huijun was not into celebrity culture and paid little attention to entertainment, but she instinctively felt Huang Yuci must be quite impressive. Juggling seven roles at once — the sheer energy required to maintain all of that!

Only then did Bai Shan give Huang Yuci a proper once-over. Her outfit looked casual but was actually expensive — probably not acquired through post-apocalypse zero-cost shopping.

"I see. You're not a fan at all — you make a living stoking fandom wars for engagement."

Bai Shan said it with the tone of an epiphany. No wonder she could walk a tightrope between being "Cheng Yue's person" and freely associating with them.

Huang Yuci protested: "I'm completely sincere! Just because two fandoms are rivals doesn't mean I can't genuinely like them both! And what's wrong with earning a little money while doing what I love?!"

Lin Huijun seemed to find the logic perfectly sound. She chimed in: "Yuci, being able to support yourself doing something you love is amazing! That's a dream for most people."

The atmosphere lightened for a moment. Bai Shan even cracked a smile. The three of them were all friendly warmth again — but barely a beat later, Bai Shan switched back to her blank-faced mode.

"The things we've been sharing with each other... it's getting a bit deep for how short a time we've known each other. That makes me uneasy."

Whether Bai Shan was truly uneasy, Huang Yuci did not know — but the remark made her very uneasy.

"You've built your foothold on your connection to Cheng Yue. The rational thing to do would be to keep your distance from us, then wait — for Cheng Yue to come after me, or for me to go after Cheng Yue." Bai Shan spoke slowly. "Is some food and fruit really worth the risk you're taking?"

"Besides, Cheng Yue saved your life."

As Bai Shan's final word faded, a gust of wind swept through the tree-shaded alley. The smile dissolved from Huang Yuci's face. Shifting shadows of leaves played across her features.

"...I don't want to be cannon fodder in Phase Two of the game."

She was silent for a long time before speaking.

"My ability is C-tier. I'm only Level 7. Phase Two is guaranteed to eliminate 80% of players... I'm obviously not in the surviving 20%, especially given the organisation's current might-makes-right approach."

"I used to attend offline events a lot, and Cheng Yue and I could exchange a few words. So I know — she's not my saviour. She's a weak person."

In the public's eyes, celebrity fans were always deluded fools. For a veteran fan like Huang Yuci, she did tend to selectively see the idol's halo and overlook certain flaws that did not match her imagination.

But now she could not afford to look away, because her life was being profoundly shaped by that person.

Lin Huijun recalled the woman she had seen at the stadium yesterday. From her commanding presence to her ability, Cheng Yue looked nothing like a "weak person" — and this assessment was coming from her own fan, no less.

"I'm not approaching you because I think you're my saviours either... The idea of looking for a saviour is laughable. I'm simply playing to my strengths, trying to stay alive."

Huang Yuci was practically grinding her teeth as she spoke, a current of hatred running through her words — not directed at anyone else, but at her own powerlessness.

"I can already see where things are headed with Cheng Yue. So I have to find new prospects."

"Ever since Cheng Yue made the leaderboard, the organisation hasn't killed any more 'dangerous elements.' The fact that you were flagged so quickly after arriving proves you're genuinely someone with enormous potential."

What kind of potential — to destroy this place? Or to bring new hope? Huang Yuci did not care. She could not see opportunity anywhere, so she had to manufacture it for herself.

Bai Shan watched Huang Yuci in silence. The dangerous edge in her eyes faded, replaced by a spark of curiosity.

"So you wouldn't mind if I killed Cheng Yue." She smiled.

Huang Yuci shrugged, feigning indifference, but her eyes were heavy — no emotion could float to the surface.

"You want to know about her ability — you've already felt it firsthand. But I can also provide intel on the other high-level players in the organisation, or anything else I know. Of course, I'll need a few small perks in exchange."

Seeing that Bai Shan's expression remained unmoved, Huang Yuci pressed harder, trying to inject some urgency: "If the organisation moves against you, it won't be Cheng Yue alone. And Cheng Yue has never acted alone."

"Every single time, she's surrounded by people — partly to leech experience, partly to protect her. She is, after all, the organisation's poster girl."

Lin Huijun listened in silence, brow knitting instinctively. Cheng Yue alone was trouble enough. If the organisation truly mobilised, could she and Bai Shan hold off that many high-level players?

"No need. I've already experienced Cheng Yue's ability for myself."

"As for the other high-level players..."

Bai Shan lifted her chin slightly. The way she pronounced "high-level" dripped with amusement. Her expression and posture were staggeringly arrogant, yet Huang Yuci could not muster a single snarky comeback. All she felt was the staggering depth of this girl's confidence — and it was, inexplicably, a little frightening.

"Where is the most dangerous Special-Class Mission in your Nanzhou City?"

Bai Shan abruptly changed the subject.

Huang Yuci answered almost without thinking: "The Mutated Ginkgo at the Ancient Temple. The organisation has been trying to crack it for a while."

But the moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them. She had shared all this information hoping they would be prepared — not so that they would immediately pick a fight with the organisation, roll up their sleeves, and charge in!

"Lin Huijun, shall we?"

The Bai Shan who, in Huang Yuci's eyes, was about to "roll up her sleeves and charge in" merely turned her head, tilted her chin, and asked Lin Huijun's opinion.

Lin Huijun met her gaze with a look of silent understanding.

She could only decide whether she herself would go — she could not sway Bai Shan's decision. But this time she had no objection to Bai Shan's provocative approach.

With the organisation's hostility confirmed, showing goodwill or weakness was far less effective than showing strength. If Bai Shan was not worried, what did she have to fear? Better to seize the chance to train at Bai Shan's side and grow stronger.

The game — or perhaps Bai Shan — had liberated a part of herself she had long kept suppressed.

She came from a military family. Toughness was in her bones. Rather than fretting and agonising over a powerful organisation's hostility, she would much rather channel that mental energy into her fists.

Lin Huijun's voice was steady: "Let's go. Right now."

Huang Yuci had been pinning her hopes on the seemingly gentler, more level-headed Lin Huijun to rein Bai Shan in. She had not expected the two of them to be equally reckless!

She was genuinely starting to wonder whether today's brilliant sunshine had blinded her judgement.

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