Chapter 104: Narrative Cage (1)

In the following days, Li Cheng remained busy searching forums for clues about power systems.

It is now the fourth year since the Killing Field descended, with over two hundred thousand players still alive; theoretically, the forum should have over two hundred thousand active users.

But as the platform with the highest traffic, the forum is entangled in countless interests—multinational corporations, major guilds, and even national governments all want a piece of it, resulting in a flood of trolls, AI bots, and ordinary users impersonating players, further inflating the popularity.

Not to mention certain idiot players, and the "Don't neglect small evils, don't perform small good deeds" Comedy Troupe and the Demon Scientists Alliance—who spend their days posting nonsense unrelated to the Killing Field, including but not limited to:

【Just received a script mission notification: next mission is a Three Kingdoms world. If I give Zhuge Liang one hundred thousand air cannons/Paru/James/Chen Zi/fertilizer production line/modern-technology-made armor/razor/Death Note, can he succeed in his northern expedition?】

【Immediately post the third photo in your phone!】

【Family, I just turned 18, please rate me, no fragile feelings】

【Claiming to become Pirate King, Luffy arrested by Shanghai police, inside: on-site photos】

Under these combined factors, the forum, which theoretically has only two hundred thousand real users, has a popularity no lower than online platforms with millions or tens of millions of monthly active users.

I must thank the Whale Song Organization for their hard work—if they hadn't maintained order and regularly purged troll posts, the forum would have been dead long ago.

"Fortunately, truly high-quality posts all have the 'Featured' tag, so I don't have to sift through shit for gold anymore."

Li Cheng rubbed his temples and opened a featured post from over a year ago titled 【Research on Several Classification Methods of the Killing Field's Power Systems】.

【The Killing Field is immensely vast, encompassing countless worlds, with hundreds of thousands of power forms, making it extremely difficult to clarify. But broadly speaking, it can still be classified by whether the power originates from the Killing Field, and whether cultivation is active or passive.】

【Power originating from the Killing Field refers to skills players obtain from treasure chests—such as martial arts, shooting, psychic, mechanical, survival, and general categories.】

【These skills have standardized descriptions, clearly listing effects, costs, cooldown times, and other details—easy to understand. But their potency is largely limited by their own quality. For example, a high-level player's Mage Hand skill differs little from that of a low-level player. Certain special skills are exceptions.】

【Power not granted by the Killing Field is gathered by players within script worlds—for instance, Devil Fruits from the One Piece world; ordinary people who consume them still gain unique abilities, but these abilities are not described in detail. Others include internal energy manuals, chakra cultivation scrolls, etc.】

【Neither is inherently stronger; the greatest difference lies in systematization and scalability.】

【As for cultivation methods, this is easier to understand. Vampire bloodline, Hulk bloodline, dragon transformation bloodline, self-mutilation sacrifice, and psychic abilities are all passive—they cannot, or can barely, be enhanced through conscious effort. Internal energy, battle aura, chakra, the Force, alchemy, magic, and spellcraft are active—they have complete advancement and enhancement pathways.】

【Synthesizing the above, a vague guiding principle emerges—players should establish their foundation on power systems that are not fully controlled by the Killing Field and can be actively cultivated, while supplementing them with Killing Field-derived skills to strengthen themselves.】

【For example, the founder and chairman of the Monster Alliance, Level 38 King of the Caged Beast, bases his power on the Druid cultivation system and Wolverine bloodline. The former allows him to cast nature spells and transform into legendary creatures; the latter grants him extraordinary self-healing and recovery. In battle, he can transform into legendary beasts like the Red Dragon and overwhelm opponents with close combat.】

【It should be noted that bloodlines, cultivation systems, and Killing Field skill items may be mutually exclusive—for instance, werewolf bloodline is incompatible with internal energy, as meridians and acupoints have been altered. In some cases, however, 11 > 2—for example, the Hulk Serum External Thought Circuit Device allows the brain to remain calm during bodily rage.】

Li Cheng had read this tens-of-thousands-of-characters post long ago; now, rereading it, he gained new insights.

When discussing serious matters, the forum commonly uses the term "construct."

Upon closer thought, this is indeed accurate—players, like builders, select and seek suitable materials from hundreds of thousands of power sources, plan, design, and construct their own systems until the edifice is complete and they transcend the mundane.

Li Cheng leaned back in his chair, away from the screen, and sighed lightly. The last wasteland world saw a nuclear war kill billions, underwent civilizational iteration, and surely witnessed countless grand stories. Yet such a world is merely a crystal glass ball the Killing Field keeps for display.

Is transcendence truly possible?

The air conditioner hummed softly; faint bird calls drifted in from outside; the chair beneath him creaked slightly as his weight shifted.

【Mission Type: Script Mission (Solo)】

The system notification blared abruptly; Li Cheng opened his eyes and took a deep breath.

【Mission Name: Narrative Cage】

【Mission Objective: At 12:00 AM tonight, hold white paper, pen, and banknotes, and await teleportation.】

【Mission Objective: To be revealed upon receiving the next mission prompt.】

【Failure Penalty: Erasure】

A solo script mission?

Li Cheng scratched his head and muttered, "Narrative Cage—based on the mission name, it seems like, maybe, probably an escape type? Paper and pen I get, but banknotes? Don't tell me I'm supposed to forge cash by hand."

Even as he complained, his body obediently stood up to prepare for the mission.

When the clock struck twelve, the scene before him abruptly changed.

An unfamiliar ceiling.

The feedback of gravity reminded Li Cheng he was lying flat on a bed.

More precisely, on a bed in a prison cell.

The cell was about four meters long and 2.5 meters wide. All four walls were lined with gray padded impact-absorbing material; a white-glowing fluorescent tube hung from the ceiling.

The single bed Li Cheng lay on stood in the corner, made of metal with a spring structure. The mattress felt like coconut fiber, covered with a black-and-white striped sheet.

At the foot of the bed were a fixed stool and table. A bit farther away stood a mirror, a metal sink, and a toilet.

Click-clack—

Li Cheng moved his body, sat up on the bed, and realized he wore handcuffs and leg irons; his clothing had been replaced with a blue-and-white prison uniform.

What the fuck?!

He stared in shock—the words 【Li Cheng】 were clearly printed on his chest.

(End of Chapter)