Chapter 13: Forum

Is it safe now?

In a stall of a public restroom, Li Cheng frowned as he changed out of his nightwear into ordinary clothes and packed the removed garments into a vacuum-sealed bag.

After detecting the presence of the Lord of Insects at the flower and bird market during the day, he carefully weighed the risks and benefits before deciding to follow and investigate, thoroughly preparing for his involvement in the anomaly.

The nightwear and sunglasses were just one part—he coated the surface of all ten fingers with glue to prevent gloves from slipping and leaving fingerprints.

To avoid injury and blood splatter that could be detected by police for DNA identification, he also carried a small vial of bleach on his person to destroy biological evidence.

Fortunately, neither was used.

Li Cheng placed the vacuum-sealed bag into a package, climbed over the wall out of the restroom, and rode away on his bike.

When he returned home, it was deep into the night; his cousin and cousin-sister were already asleep, his aunt was showering in the bathroom, and his uncle was watching TV on the sofa.

"I'm back," Li Cheng said automatically, slipped on his slippers, and headed toward his bedroom.

"Li Cheng, wait a moment," his uncle Xue Jingming suddenly said, his expression slightly awkward, "tomorrow our company boss invited our whole family to dinner, so your birthday—"

"It's fine," Li Cheng immediately replied with a smile, "tomorrow's weekend—I'll celebrate with friends."

His aunt's family had adopted the day they took him in as his birthday, and when he was young, they used to throw him birthday parties.

As he grew older and gradually became aware of the subtle family dynamics, Li Cheng got into the habit of no longer troubling his aunt and uncle, instead going out to celebrate his birthday with friends.

According to his schedule, tomorrow he would first work at Cui Yi's place for a daily wage of 1,800, then meet Mu Yulu and Han Letian in the evening for hot pot or some other place to celebrate.

"Alright then," Uncle Xue Jingming sighed in relief, "your aunt and I prepared a red envelope for your birthday—it's on the dining table. Have fun with your friends tomorrow."

"Thank you, Uncle."

Li Cheng nodded, picked up a plump golden-red envelope from the dining table, returned to his bedroom, opened it, and found 888 yuan in cash inside.

As expected. Li Cheng quietly put the envelope down—if it had been Aunt Li Zhao's red envelope, it would have contained 200 yuan. This 888 was probably from Uncle Xue Jingming himself.

Since childhood, compared to the distant and indifferent Li Zhao, the non-blood-related Xue Jingming had always been closer to the idea of a "generous elder."

Closing his bedroom door and blocking out the sound of the living room TV, Li Cheng skillfully covered his computer camera with a sticky note, plugged in a USB drive, launched a VPN tool, and entered the website address of World Nuclear Peace House.

After a half-second loading delay, a clean, elegant webpage appeared.

Its main color was pale green; beneath the large font of 【World Nuclear Peace House】 were several sections: Company Introduction, Corporate Information, Diverse Services, Support & Services, Partners, Contact Channels, Complaints & Suggestions, and finally, Join Nuclear Peace House.

"Looks pretty legit."

Li Cheng raised an eyebrow and browsed carefully, learning that 【World Nuclear Peace House】 was founded two and a half years ago, led by Changsun Yao.

It was a small enterprise similar to a "do-it-all shop," with over twenty full-time employees and over forty contract workers; if you paid enough, they took on any job—including but not limited to intelligence trading, security services, arms procurement, and more.

Below was a massive image: a woman in a kimono, surrounded by miniature dolls, standing beside an F-15 attack jet developed by Lockheed Martin. The caption read:

【Congratulations to our employee Miss Aozora on acquiring her dream aircraft, the F-15! Miss Aozora joined Nuclear Peace House six months ago and, through her own efforts, earned her dream jet—a new woman of the battlefield, balancing career and family. She is warm, vibrant, and full of youth; she bought a fifth-generation fighter jet just so her family could all fly.】

Below that was a photo of Changsun Yao, dressed in a suit and top hat, pointing her finger in the classic "Uncle Sam Wants You" pose.

The caption read: 【Your hesitation today will cost you tomorrow's wealth. Join us—you can be just like her.】

"What the hell is this?"

Li Cheng's forehead twitched with annoyance; he couldn't shake the feeling that this so-called 【World Nuclear Peace House】 looked utterly untrustworthy.

Fortunately, he had no intention of applying for a job—he was more interested in the forum Changsun Yao had mentioned.

He scrolled the mouse wheel to the very bottom of the page, where, as expected, there was a hyperlink labeled 【Chosen Forum】.

With trepidation, he clicked the link; the webpage slowly refreshed, with a singing whale icon suspended in the center.

Several seconds later, the page finished loading and displayed a line of text.

【Hello, Chosen One. Welcome to the Battlefield Forum.】

【This website was initiated and jointly established by the Whale Song Organization, in collaboration with various groups. Much of its foundational data comes from generous public and private contributions. Some pioneers have left us. We thank them for their efforts and sacrifices, and pay tribute to the dead and those marching toward death.】

As the text gradually faded, the forum interface appeared on the screen.

The entire website was divided into several sections: General Board, Newcomer Guide, Latest News, Black Market Exchange, Anonymous Chat Room, and more.

Most boards and search functions were accessible only to registered users; guests had no viewing rights.

Li Cheng tried clicking the registration button and was told only Chosen Ones could see the verification code—without the code, account registration was impossible.

"Chosen One… what the hell is that?"

Frowning with confusion, Li Cheng clicked into the only section accessible to guests: the Newcomer Guide, which presented information in a question-and-answer format for new users.

【Q: What is the Battlefield?】

【A: In the narrow sense, the Battlefield is a massive extraterrestrial architectural complex. Its location, history, function, and volume are unknown (even the mapped portions exceed the entire Solar System). In the broad sense, the Battlefield also refers to everything derived from this colossal structure.】

【Q: Who built the Battlefield?】

【A: Unknown. The Battlefield's architecture is chaotic, its modules function differently, and it lacks even a basic writing system. Yet, from the sheer scale of the structure alone, its builders' technological level far exceeds current human understanding.】

【Q: Who maintains the Battlefield?】

【A: A group of mechanical entities known as Construct Units. It is speculated that the builders created them and assigned them the directive to maintain the Battlefield. Some Construct Units possess considerable combat power and are called Security Guards; they maintain order within the Battlefield.】

【Q: What is a Chosen One? How does one become a Chosen One?】

【A: Since four and a half years ago, the Battlefield has massively intervened in Earth, randomly selecting suitable individuals from Earth to join the "Battlefield Game." This process is called Selection. Chosen Ones typically possess exceptional traits—positive or negative. Additionally, non-Chosen Ones who personally kill a Chosen One may inherit their qualification. Generally, we also refer to Chosen Ones as Players. Currently, approximately 270,000 Players remain alive worldwide. Players may choose to log into the Battlefield via their personal panel.】

【Q: What must Chosen Ones/Players do?】

【A: The Battlefield periodically issues tasks to Players. There are three types: First, Routine Tasks—randomly triggered; optional.】

【Second, Mandatory Tasks—issued periodically by the Battlefield; Players cannot refuse.】

【Third, Scripted Tasks—issued periodically by the Battlefield; Players are teleported to other temporal-spatial worlds (considered parallel universes) to complete missions for the Battlefield. Rewards are granted upon completion of any of these tasks, with reward tiers tied to final performance. Penalties for failure are not fixed.】

【Q: What abilities do Chosen Ones/Players have?】

【A: The Battlefield itself and its contained creations possess technological advancement far beyond human comprehension. Additionally, the developmental paths of civilizations within Scripted Worlds differ drastically from Main Earth (e. g., sci-fi, xianxia, fantasy). Chosen Ones may acquire supernatural power through learning, cultivation, skill scrolls, or purchasing equipment.】

【Q: What dangers do Chosen Ones/Players face?】

【A: The most obvious threat to Players is always the tasks issued by the Battlefield. The second greatest threat comes from the Battlefield itself—it was not built for Players, and contains numerous dangerous zones (e. g., Godspawn Tower) and experiments. Some experiments may enter Main Earth through rifts. The third greatest threat comes from other Players. If you encounter the Shadow Realm in reality, immediately flee in the opposite direction.】

【Q: What is the Shadow Realm?】

The Shadow Realm is a projection dimension based on the real world. Visibility within it is poor, and damaged objects gradually restore themselves over time, having no effect on the real world. Some Kill Field test subjects are born with the ability to open the Shadow Realm; anyone with extraordinary power within range will be automatically drawn in. Player groups also frequently use the Shadow Realm as a battleground.

As a newcomer, what should I do?

Observe more, listen more, think more. In the early stages when the Kill Field game intruded into reality, 70% of new players did not survive the first three months. Once their identities were exposed in the real world, they were typically kidnapped, threatened, or even killed to steal their player qualifications. Fortunately, after four and a half years of development, the player environment has moved beyond its savage growth phase. However, joining a reliable official organization or civilian guild can still significantly increase a newcomer's chance of survival.

(End of Chapter)