Chapter 49

The so-called alley currency is actually a joint issuance by major guilds. One killfield currency can be exchanged for 14 hundred-dollar alley banknotes, roughly equivalent in value to the US dollar.

It can be used to purchase goods in the alley and also exchanged back into killfield currency.

After all, killfield currency has too high a value—fine for bulk purchases, but utterly impractical for daily spending due to lack of small change.

However, some players view this currency printing as economic plunder—hard-earned game coins swept away by mere sheets of paper—and someone even wrote a book titled *Currency War*, condemning the financial exploitation by the major guilds.

Upon learning Li Cheng intended to settle with alley currency, the gun shop clerk showed slight disappointment but still diligently packed all weapons, gear, and ammunition into ten briefcases.

Li Cheng stored all the briefcases in his backpack slot, stepped out of the gun shop, and nodded gratefully toward Changsun Yao.

"I never thought you'd become a player."

Changsun Yao now wore a blue-and-white uniform, with a nuclear explosion emblem embroidered on the chest—presumably the standardized attire of the World Nuclear Peace House. Sensing Li Cheng might misunderstand, she added, "I recognized you by your nightwear."

【Changsun Yao has sent you a friend request】

【Accept?】

After selecting accept, Li Cheng walked and chatted with Changsun Yao and the others—the World Nuclear Peace House group was heading to dinner.

The first was a slender twenty-something youth wearing a top hat, horn-rimmed sunglasses, and a long robe, resembling the early 20th-century folk artist Abing. His player ID was 【Still Holding Sword】.

The second was a round-faced youth in a white down jacket, a glossy gourd hanging at his waist. His player ID was 【Didn't Take My Medicine Today】.

The third was a two-meter-tall brute nearing forty, bald-headed, copper-skinned, squint-eyed, and always smiling. His player ID was 【Iron Gu】.

The fourth was the kimono-clad girl who had appeared in the company's official advertisements. Her ID was 【Ozaki Aozora】.

Out of politeness, Li Cheng added them all as friends and learned more about the alley through casual conversation.

"That red-and-black building shaped like a demon's horn is the headquarters of the civilian guild 【Demon Scientists Alliance】. That tallest reinforced concrete tower is the headquarters of the UN-backed 【Global Supernatural Alliance】."

Changsun Yao said casually, "Since the alley's area is limited and every inch of land is precious, the larger a building's footprint, the stronger the guild's power."

Li Cheng nodded. "So that's why. I never imagined the UN, so insignificant in the real world, could rise to prominence in the killfield."

"Haha, yeah, it's pretty bizarre."

Changsun Yao smiled. "On one hand, the emergence of the killfield game posed a serious threat to every nation—no single country, not even a permanent Security Council member, could isolate itself and survive alone; cooperation became inevitable.

On the other hand, there truly are people on Earth who believe in 'human civilization's great unity.' Among them emerged several top-tier players. Hence this arrangement."

Li Cheng thought for a moment and asked, "I noticed the consultation interface says the current player level cap is Lv40. Has anyone reached that level? What's the strength of the top-tier transcenders?"

"Player levels in the killfield resemble a pyramid—the higher you go, the fewer there are. Personally, I guess Lv40 might total only about ten people? Their strength? Think of them as nuclear bombs walking upright, human-scale natural disasters. With enough time, they could destroy a modern nation."

Changsun Yao said casually—her own level was Lv25, placing her in the top 10% of transcenders. When serious, she could obliterate a full armored division.

As they chatted along, the group arrived at a Chinese restaurant. Still Holding Sword and the others went to the front to order, while Changsun Yao continued explaining in the private room some unspoken rules never written on forums.

"As a new player, your decision to buy firearms was wise—they're cheap, easy to use, and rapidly boost combat power. You can practice at shooting ranges to improve proficiency."

"Also, the deadliest mission types for new players are supernatural horror ones. Spend around a hundred game coins on talismans, peachwood swords, and protective charms to improve your ability to handle spirits."

————

Meanwhile, in the adjacent private room of the Chinese restaurant, Yuan Zhixia, who had just become a player today, rubbed her forehead and sighed, "So… my cousin is now your Eye of Heaven system?"

"More precisely, your Eye of Heaven system was built around her as its core," said Liao Guangming, Deputy Director of the Yinshi Special Affairs Bureau, Party Committee Member, Deputy Director of the Emergency Command Center, and Grade-Two Police Superintendent.

"Three years ago, a 19-year-old female college student from Hangzhou, Yuan Donglian, was involved in a car accident. Her body vanished mysteriously during transport to the hospital. The local Special Affairs Bureau classified this as a Yellow Alert-level anomaly.

A month later, a Special Affairs Bureau operative exploring the killfield suddenly heard a voice in his head. After repeated verification, the source was confirmed to be Yuan Donglian, declared missing.

According to her account, she lost consciousness in the ambulance and awoke in a sealed room. Pipes on the walls periodically delivered water and food; a toilet in the corner ensured survival.

She tried everything to escape but failed. After prolonged exploration, she learned to operate the control panel.

It was a 24/7, zero-latency, multi-window, god-view surveillance system.

By pressing a button, she could see and hear the visuals and audio of any designated area and establish communication with any specified target.

The only problem: she could not see her own location. And the killfield was too vast—finding her within infinite space was like searching for a needle in a haystack."

Yuan Zhixia glanced at the hand-drawn sketch Liao Guangming handed her and said slowly, "So… you recruited her into the Special Affairs Bureau."

Yuan Zhixia glanced at the hand-drawn picture Liao Guangming handed over and said slowly, "So, you absorbed her into the Special Affairs Bureau."

Liao Guangming said gravely, "Over these three years, she has saved countless lives, making outstanding contributions to the Special Affairs Bureau, to our nation, and to all humanity. She is a proud member of our bureau.

Your disappearance was actually our failure—we promised her we'd protect her family, but at the time, most of our city's Special Affairs Bureau resources were focused on another anomaly, and we failed to notice your absence. We apologize."

Yuan Zhixia said nothing, frowning, "But you never told her parents she's still alive."

Another Yinshi Special Affairs Bureau leader, Kong Raoran, said, "That was her own wish. She's trapped in the Hidden Realm and cannot escape anytime soon. Telling her parents would only cause them prolonged grief—we respected her choice and altered their perceptions to ease their sorrow.

You grew up together, inseparable. She specifically instructed the Special Affairs Bureau to ensure your safety."

Yuan Zhixia instantly realized, stunned: "Wait—you're monitoring me?!"

"Only minimal surveillance via the Sky Net system and AI programs—no humans involved, no privacy intrusion," Liao Guangming quickly explained.

"The minimum level of surveillance maintained by the Skynet monitoring system and AI programs has no living people involved, and does not monitor your privacy."

Any deliberate attention increases the likelihood of the observed person being drawn into anomalies, raising their chance of being selected as a player in the killfield.

Becoming a player is not a good thing—in the killfield's early days, over 80% of new players died within the first three months; even now, the rate remains grim.

Had it not been for this—and your cousin's special request—your talent would have drawn the Special Affairs Bureau's attention long ago, and you'd have been recruited as a reserve."

". Alright." Yuan Zhixia sighed, pressing her palm to her forehead. Since the Special Affairs Bureau had been watching her for years, her homemade gun couldn't possibly be hidden. "By the way, what exactly is the 【Hidden Realm】?"

"The 【Hidden Realm】 refers to certain special buildings in the killfield with defined purposes and powerful effects—like the 【Alley】 we're in now, where player-on-player combat is forbidden.

For example, the Whale Song Organization occupies the 【Root Domain】, using its supercomputers to lay cables, set up signal stations, and build a network within the killfield, filling the communication gap for players.

The Global Supernatural Alliance occupies the 【Horn Chamber】—a horn-shaped automated factory that mass-produces automated guards with strength comparable to mid-tier players.

Our Special Affairs Bureau has also taken over a Hidden Realm called the 【Simulated Star Corridor】. It outputs massive clean energy without producing any pollutants or waste heat.

Beyond these, the killfield contains legendary structures: the 【River of the Dead】, which perfectly resurrects the deceased; the 【Wish Room】, which grants any desire; and even the 【Origin House】, which can alter worldlines, rewrite the past, and create new futures."

Director Xing Hechou of the Yinshi Special Affairs Bureau said, "Some of our strategists speculate that our current world exists precisely because of the 【Origin House】's effect.

Evidence? Before the killfield game appeared, Earth experienced large-scale memory anomalies—like the Mandela Effect."

The evidence lies in the fact that before the Killing Field Game appeared, large-scale memory deviation events had already occurred on Earth, such as the Mandela Effect.

Before former South African President Mandela's death in 2013, many people believed Mandela had already passed away, but in fact he had not."

(End of this chapter)