From the Abyss of Stars

080. Global Manhunt

 

Fifteen minutes later, after dressing up, Lu Run witnessed two shootings and a gang fight on the street corner. Nervous, he was finally picked up by professional testers Xue Nian and Luo Le.

 

"This game doesn't even have a teleport function. To contact someone, you need communication tools, and you have to travel on foot. It's such a hassle."

 

Luo Le's appearance was that of a young man with half of his hair dyed purple and three glowing fluorescent tubes on his left cheek. He walked with his hands in his pockets, and although he had no visible weapons, his intimidating aura was enough to keep the street youths at bay.

 

"How about it, kid? Shooting here?"

 

Xue Nian was even bulkier than Luo Le, with shoulders as wide as a door. Sporting a buzz cut, washed jeans, and a worker's vest, he looked like an elephant—gentle in demeanor but capable of crushing a man with a single step.

 

Watching the NPCs' wary and suspicious glances toward them, Lu Run felt emotional. He knew it was just a game, but the vivid visual impact and the complexity of the characters' expressions were hard to ignore.

 

Vividly depicted dirt and grime.

 

The strong smell of kitchen waste full of life.

 

The poor had rusty prosthetics smelling of engine oil. When malfunctioning, they would just bang on them. Though capable of moving swiftly, they fought each other, indulged in drugs and alcohol, and even engaged in public lewd acts, watching low-budget films on their retinal displays.

 

Everyone lived absurd lives day by day, and the realism was terrifying.

 

"Let's shoot here."

 

Following Xue Nian's instructions, Lu Run activated the camera function and began taking pictures and videos. To the NPCs, he looked like a neatly dressed office worker wandering around, scrutinizing them like rare goods.

 

"Get lost, you motherfucker." Some NPCs, annoyed by the prolonged filming, flipped him off and cursed.

 

"Company dog? So what if you're a company dog? Keep staring, and I'll kill you!"

 

Focused on his work, Lu Run impatiently replied, "Shut up and do your job!"

 

"You motherf—"

 

The NPC's eyes widened, pulling a knife from his pocket to stab him.

 

Bang! Bang! Bang!

 

Luo Le raised his hand, his palm skin splitting to reveal a gun barrel. The NPC was shot twice in the chest, momentarily freezing, before a third shot pierced his forehead, spraying brain matter and blood.

 

"A level-zero street thug, useless, no experience points."

 

Luo Le muttered.

 

Lu Run lowered his head, adjusting the angle, practically pressing his face against the gunshot wounds to capture the NPC's final expressions of shock, fear, and slight regret.

 

Though it still felt disgusting, knowing the NPC's death just translated to experience points greatly reduced his fear.

 

Moments ago terrified, he now easily accepted the reality of the dead body—it was just a game.

 

Players still had superior power; the game's details were just too realistic and immersive.

 

"We've collected enough material here. According to the plan, we need to shoot some high-end footage next, and then PV promotional shots for the Dominator class—we need someone with psychic abilities for that."

 

After gathering the materials, Lu Run turned to the two testers.

 

"High-end footage—how do we get that? We've been testing for two months and haven't found anything more high-end than the Feminist Progress Memorial in Frost-Plated Republic."

 

Luo Le continued to complain.

 

"This game is garbage—no auto-pathfinding, no teleportation, no map. We have to rely on phones. After a while, you even get hungry. How is this a game?"

 

These rich details could only be presented by the omnipotent AI.

 

"What does the company training manual say? Treat it like the real world—stop complaining. By the way, for high-end footage, I have an idea—Lu Run, what's your identity?"

 

Xue Nian shrugged and asked.

 

"A low-level employee at GTB."

 

Lu Run pulled out his ID and curiously asked, "Isn't there a player inventory feature in this game?"

 

"There is, but it hasn't been implemented in this version. We're internal testers, just checking for bugs and maintaining the system. As long as it works and runs, we don't interfere much."

 

Xue Nian took Lu Run's phone and called a taxi.

 

"Since you need to shoot high-end buildings, you should head to the GTB branch. It's a landmark in every city."

 

They remained silent in the car but chatted through the voice channel.

 

Xue Nian briefly introduced the background of Frost-Plated Republic and some gameplay tips.

 

Talking about game data, Lu Run became puzzled.

 

"Brother Xue, Brother Luo, don't you have admin privileges?"

 

"Only the AI can modify game data." Luo Le replied. "This game involves electronic migration, which the state highly values."

 

"Electronic migration—isn't that just a conspiracy theory?"

 

"Who knows? If it weren't for electronic migration, why would those big leaders be watching us?" Xue Nian said lightly.

 

Lu Run was quickly distracted by the roadside scenery. The cultural landscape of Frost-Plated Republic seemed strange.

 

All statues were female, recruitment ads featured lipstick-wearing, curvy women, and court case promotions focused on protecting women's rights. Even the word 'hero' was changed to 'heroine,' sounding awkward.

 

Most women were fashionably dressed, young, and beautiful, while the men looked downtrodden and lacked any masculine charm.

 

"What a lousy country. How can this attract players? What was the design team thinking?"

 

Lu Run couldn't stand it. He thought it would greatly affect players' perception of Frost-Plated Republic.

 

"Just take lots of shots of women's thighs, chests, and butts, and some perverts will join."

 

"When they find out how low men's status is, they'll complain about false advertising..."

 

"Just say the women are good-looking!"

 

Lu Run was speechless but decided to shoot from the sexiest angles, hoping to lure in players.

 

After all, handling complaints would be the phone customer service's job, not his.

 

The game's pace was slow but filled with rich experiences. When they arrived at the GTB branch building, the vehicle's AI even haggled with them.

 

"According to company policy, your fare is 23 Derbis, not a cent less."

 

The vehicle's AI projected an angry child emoji and locked the car doors, preventing them from getting out.

 

"23 Derbis? You might as well rob us!"

 

Luo Le laughed angrily.

 

"Two kilometers, and you dare charge this much for an electric car? Get lost!"

 

"Round it down." Xue Nian signaled Luo Le, who got up to block the camera. Luo Le didn't hesitate, raising his hand and extending a data cable to the vehicle.

 

The vehicle's AI freaked out, roaring angrily.

 

"You're freeloaders—enjoy your trip. Come again."

 

Shh—

 

The door opened, and the three quickly jumped out.

 

"The infiltration ability of the Hacker subclass is handy."

 

Luo Le rubbed his neck and casually said.

 

"Hey, photographer, we're here. Hurry up and shoot. After this, we need to head out of the city to check the system integrity in the outer regions. Don't waste time."

 

Lu Run looked up, straining his neck to see the top of the GTB branch building. This place was packed with big shots. Hover cars came and went, and various elegantly dressed people moved about. The high-tech white building was surrounded by floating rings and projection screens, broadcasting events and news 24/7, unconcerned about power consumption.

 

"Two kilometers away is a district filled with crime, poverty, and violent conflicts."

 

Feeling inspired, Lu Run took out his work ID and decided to film inside.

 

Just as he was about to enter the building, the projection screens on the GTB branch suddenly changed color. Originally displaying world events and economic updates, they now showed mugshots and wanted posters.

 

Many people stopped, gathering and looking up eagerly at the GTB's projection screens.

 

Lu Run noticed most of these people had body modifications and were heavily armed.

 

The broadcast announced.

 

"Citizens eager to get rich overnight, welcome to this week's Kill List."

 

"This week's list has 20 people. Compared to last week, only one change—'Wolf King' Jeddimosen Julev's 100,000 Derbi bounty has been claimed. Don't waste your time on him. Get ready to hunt others."

 

A furry-faced man had an X over his picture, and Lu Run heard a chorus of sighs.

 

"The new addition to the list is from the Law IVagents."

 

The projection focused on a poster—a strikingly handsome man with night-black hair and steel-grey eyes. His pale skin indicated his mixed-blood heritage from the outer regions.

 

"The new target for the hunt—'Scavenger' Li Aozi!"

 

"Possessing advanced psychic abilities, brutally powerful, capable of slaughtering Beta-level elites—a terrifying force!"

 

"First time on the kill list and already a five-star bounty—truly impressive! His bounty is set at 2 million Derbis. What are you waiting for? Get moving!"

 

2 million!

 

Luo Le and Xue Nian couldn't help but exclaim.

 

What does this mean—2 million Derbis is equivalent to 20 years of a senior white-collar worker's salary, enough to buy a house in the capital, or even a military mech.

 

Gulp—

 

The bounty hunters around them had their eyes glued to the screen.

 

Suddenly, the host paused.

 

"We apologize; there was an error on our end."

 

"The bounty for Li Aozi is no longer 2 million. We apologize for the mistake."

 

The crowd groaned, with some shaking their heads and preparing to leave.

 

The host then leisurely continued:

 

"Just now, the Frost-Plated Republic government announced an additional 8 million, plus a 90-year lease property in Twin Star City. Total value—20 million Derbis."

 

"The Frost-Plated Republic's requirement: global manhunt, dead or alive."