From the Abyss of Stars

110. Biohazard King-Kong

 

No man is an island, entire of itself.

 

Every man is a piece of the continent.

 

If a clod be washed away by the sea,

 

Europe is the less.

 

As well as if a promontory were,

 

As well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were.

 

Any man's death diminishes me,

 

Because I am involved in mankind.

 

And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;

 

It tolls for thee!

 

——John Donne, "For Whom the Bell Tolls"

 

————————————

 

As Li Aozi and Du Zexin entered the elevator, the film ended there.

 

Lu Run sat blankly by the monitor, but the cold floor made him feel incredibly awake.

 

Is this really a game?

 

From Nomi to Qiu Ran, to Li Aozi, even Jane, Anna, and the members of the Metro Brotherhood, each person is vivid, like real people with flesh and blood.

 

When he saw Qiu Ran's emotional breakdown twice, and finally being unconditionally sent to the metro by 'ruthless killer' Li Aozi, Lu Run felt he was no longer just watching a game plot.

 

Everyone was living truly, crawling forward numb and struggling for their beliefs, running a marathon while coughing up blood. This heavy sense of reality made him feel physically uncomfortable.

 

"Damn, Qiu Ran is so cute, I declare she is my wife!"

 

Compared to his emotional fluctuations, Luo Le, with his straightforward personality, immediately said excitedly:

 

"Did you see that girl? She's really interesting, looks soft, like a naive big sister, but she's more sensitive and delicate than anyone else. Isn't this the best candidate for a wife? In the future, we should find a marriage partner like this."

 

"Alright, alright, alright, we know you like red-haired single ponytails. No need to advertise everywhere."

 

Xue Nian pushed him disdainfully:

 

"Didn't you see how Qiu Ran looked at Li Aozi? First, I'm not shipping them, but Qiu Ran, even though she didn't say a word, her eyes were full of reliance. And those unconscious little actions—hey, secondly, I'm not shipping them, but if a girl doesn't truly like and trust someone, why would she keep holding the corner of their clothes, occasionally leaning on them? Finally, damn, I'm not pretending anymore, I am shipping them, Qiu Ran x Li Aozi, it's unjust if they don't end up together."

 

Luo Le gave his colleague a disdainful look:

 

"What era are you living in still shipping traditional CPs? Don't be silly, where's the love in a capitalist world? These virtual characters, to put it bluntly, are just for the developers to make players happy. They might even be criticized for 'male gaze' and 'stereotypes.' Better focus on something practical."

 

"What are you thinking about, perverted stuff, shut up. We're live streaming."

 

"Weren't you the one who got too into the game first? To be honest, this plot is really well written, I'm enjoying it."

 

《Rebirth: The Era of Fighting Waves》

 

"Wait."

 

Lu Run calmed down and suddenly realized something:

 

"Brother Luo, Brother Xue, if Li Aozi and Du Zexin join forces, dealing with that 'professor' should be easy, right?"

 

"Don't know."

 

They answered in unison.

 

"…Huh?"

 

Lu Run was bewildered:

 

"I see Li Aozi is already very fierce, and Du Zexin looks strong too, still Beta rank (β, the second Greek letter). According to previous statements, a Beta rank NPC should have a main profession level of at least 40, right? Shouldn't it be easy to deal with that 'professor'?"

 

"Not necessarily. NPCs are different from players, they might be a few levels lower, but their rank can be higher. Strange, right—but if you think about it, in the real world, many people are like that—boasted on paper, but easily exposed."

 

Xue Nian said naturally:

 

"Players are different, our rank promotions have strict conditions. NPCs' ranks might have some fluff, but ours don't."

 

"Back to the earlier question," Luo Le explained: "Li Aozi and Du Zexin, two NPCs, their ranks definitely have fluff, and two strangers might not cooperate well."

 

"Besides."

 

He knocked on the Abyss Humanitarian display screen, the myriad experimental projects and numerous 【Implemented】 tags made him involuntarily feel heavy-hearted:

 

"…That professor, though we don't know the specifics, just look at these—these projects clearly surpass the knowledge level of the Frost-Plated Republic. Coupled with Li Aozi's description, it's probably not below Beta rank. It's hard to say who would win in a fight."

 

"What are you thinking, Li Aozi is still wanted and alive. He must have already beaten the professor to pieces."

 

Xue Nian rolled his eyes:

 

"Are you watching this like a TV drama? Still thinking about predicting the next episode's plot?"

 

"Don't say that… aren't you too? The one who empathizes and gets the most immersed is you, really, have the nerve to criticize me."

 

Luo Le flipped through the video files, there were no more related to Li Aozi in the Abyss's leftover video files.

 

"Tsk… these are useless."

 

He clicked his tongue and kicked the slumped Lu Run on the ground:

 

"Let's go, cameraman, let's check the lower floors. These are for task progress."

 

"Okay."

 

Lu Run got up, saved the video files, and backed them up for editing later.

 

The battle between Li Aozi and Du Zexin could easily give the impression that 【Mutants】 are more capable fighters than 【Mechanics】. As promotional material, those attracted to Li Aozi might consider joining the 【Domination】 faction, giving a basic idea.

 

"A little editing and some cool lines, and the identity of the 【Domination】 faction's mentor is highlighted—just like that, the promotional effect will be immediate."

 

Lu Run thought this, but felt a persistent itch.

 

He really wanted to see what happens next with Li Aozi!

 

The game's detail handling and complex character portrayal were too real, the plot left a lasting impression, and Lu Run couldn't help but immerse himself.

 

Luo Le and Xue Nian led the way, occasionally seeing charred corpses without feeling afraid.

 

Lu Run walked through rooms filled with rotting bones, where Li Aozi once indulged in killing.

 

Previously, they thought Li Aozi's methods were cruel, but now they felt he was too gentle.

 

For such an anti-human existence as the Abyss, no matter how cruel the retaliation methods, it was merciful.

 

"Oh, this is the ICU!"

 

While searching, they found the place where the killing started, now with few intact corpses.

 

"The body of Nurse Nordli is indeed gone."

 

Xue Nian pointed to the corner, where charred remnants were left, likely traces of Qiu Ran's Omega Energy.

 

"Strange, supposedly there is no magic on the Azure Star, do the bodies have some use?"

 

Luo Le muttered.

 

They left the ICU, searched along the way but found nothing. To find Li Aozi's related videos, they could only move to the lower floors.

 

"Oh, the elevator is broken."

 

Luo Le tried to hack into the elevator, but unexpectedly found the entire elevator had fallen to the bottom floor.

 

Xue Nian checked the steel cables, three were broken, with obvious corrosion marks at the breaks, but one was intact, just with some strange mucus residue.

 

He took out an electric hoist, attached it to the cable, and they carefully descended into the dark abyss.

 

"Aren't you going to throw a glow stick or something?"

 

Lu Run asked, a bit scared of the dark elevator shaft.

 

"Didn't buy any, it's only fifty meters, the elevator fell to the second floor—what, are you afraid of heights?"

 

"A little—"

 

Bang!

 

Luo Le lifted a foot and kicked Lu Run's butt directly, strong wind brushing his face. Lu Run screamed, falling for a few seconds, crashing into the elevator shaft, a steel cable piercing his lung. His body was almost completely fractured, the intense pain nearly knocking him unconscious, his health dropping to the brink, entering a dying state.

 

Hiss—

 

Xue Nian and Luo Le descended one after another. Xue Nian complained about Luo Le's recklessness, then gave Lu Run a healing injection, skillfully bandaged his wound, and walked away without bothering to set his bones properly.

 

Lu Run sat on the ground, in pain for a while, curiously put his protruding bone back.

 

"Ow, ah ah—hey?"

 

After the excruciating pain, Lu Run jumped up. With his health rising, his fractures and pain eased, almost disappearing. After the wound healed, his health stopped dropping.

 

"Phew. That scared me, I almost died."

 

"Damn! What the hell is this?"

 

"Hey, cameraman, come and look at this! This is absolutely shocking!"

 

Luo Le and Xue Nian were shouting ahead. Lu Run patted his chest and hobbled forward.

 

"Coming, coming!"

 

The second floor of Abyss Humanitarian was filled with the smell of burning, with the power completely out, shrouded in pitch darkness.

 

Lu Run cautiously advanced in the dark. By now, his psychological resilience had improved a lot. Randomly touching severed limbs, skulls, and entrails only felt rough, not disgusting.

 

He felt something strange—wasn't the sensory system of the game "Abyss" too detailed?

 

When his fingers brushed over corpses, he could even feel the wriggling from muscle decay and rot. This meticulous and terrifying detail made him have a guess:

 

'Are countries supporting "Abyss" to train people to adapt to combat and violence?'

 

A long time ago, virtual games were considered electronic drugs, feared like the plague. Later, as virtual worlds matured, everyone scrambled to join in.

 

What if, just what if, "Abyss" isn't just a game, but a real world—

 

Impossible.

 

Lu Run immediately dismissed the thought.

 

Not to mention how significant the discovery of a real electronic world would be, the discoverer could win countless awards—they, the players, having near-immortal abilities and identities, completely defies the logic of a normal world.

 

But isn't this too real...

 

Qiu Ran, Nomi, Li Aozi's images flashed before his eyes one by one.

 

'Could they be alive?'

 

With this thought, as he was about to reach Luo Le and Xue Nian, Lu Run suddenly tripped over something and fell headfirst to the ground.

 

"Ouch—sorry! I'm so clumsy!"

 

Lu Run quickly got up and apologized to the dazed Luo Le and Xue Nian.

 

However, the two did not respond.

 

Lu Run looked up and followed their gaze forward.

 

The white flashlight beam illuminated a massive object filling the entire field of vision and the underground space.

 

It resembled the twilight of the old gods, spreading despair and ugliness into every inch of the air, with twisted flesh like countless worms and snakes, merging into a colossal form that was almost indescribable.

 

It looked like a giant, but if it were human, Lu Run couldn't feel any similarity.

 

Moreover, what he felt was a fear and horror hundreds of times worse than from corpses or monsters.

 

From the deepest part of his genes, memories of 'death' and 'predators' were instantly awakened. As an ordinary person, he couldn't withstand this physiological discomfort and fear, instantly kneeling as if bowing before a fallen god.

 

"What... is this?"

 

Xue Nian muttered in a daze.

 

Luo Le, holding his forehead, activated the cognitive filter to regain his composure. He then activated the investigation system of his prosthetic eye, seeing the true identity of the entity:

 

【Name】: BOW—Biohazard King-Kong (Deceased)

 

【Level】: lv.60 (In life)

 

【Rank】: Gamma (γ, the third Greek letter)

 

"This is the professor's research result—"

 

Luo Le exclaimed:

 

"Biohazard King-Kong—Biochemical Titan!"