Chapter 58: Rough Street

Open the panel and select Log into the Killing Ground.

The scene before his eyes shifted abruptly; a howling wind swept past, flapping his clothes violently.

Li Cheng lowered his center of gravity, steadied his stance, and squinted to observe his surroundings.

This was a steel metropolis so vast it defied imagination—no low-rise buildings existed; every skyscraper soared over a kilometer high, connecting the rock strata below to the steel canopy above.

The buildings were linked by bridges and tunnels; at this moment, Li Cheng stood on a metal bridge, and as far as he could see, tangled cables, wires, and pipes littered the area, scarred by burns.

【Rough Street】is a uniquely designated zone where players are forbidden from harming, colliding with, or touching one another.

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They are the constructs mentioned in the forums, building and maintaining this abandoned city like hive worker bees.

These mechanical bodies varied in shape but generally featured streamlined forms, white ceramic-like shells, and multiple mechanical arms with distinct functions.

“Five bucks, five bucks, everything’s five! For five game coins you won’t get cheated or taken for a fool—you’ll get the newest, most powerful, highest-firepower military-grade firearms!”

Uh… he himself wasn’t much better off.

Tens of thousands of constructs worked silently across the city, welding steel plates and installing cables; they ignored Li Cheng’s sudden appearance entirely.

Lockheed Martin’s M134 minigun, Belgium’s FN SCAR assault rifle, Barrett, Glock, grenade launchers, portable rocket launchers—all were available, everything you could want. The air itself reeked of gunpowder.

This was 【Rough Street】—the largest gathering hub in the Physical Killing Ground, home to all guild headquarters, and the most bustling commercial district among players.

It resembled a lively, noisy commercial street, its lights so garish they polluted the atmosphere, as if he’d stepped into a cyberpunk world.

A thunderous roar echoed from the giant pipe at the city’s edge; every hive construct in the city halted its work, either diving beneath the bridges or vanishing into the towers, as if hiding from something.

Alien corrosive blood splattered, scorching dense pits into the ceramic floor.

As a model student, Li Cheng had never seen so many firearms; under the sales clerk’s enthusiastic guidance, he picked up weapon after weapon: “This one, and this one—also pack the ammo for me, thanks.”

Any attempt to harm, harass, or detain another player would trigger attacks from special constructs—security guards. Hence, players regarded it as an absolutely safe haven.

The small clinic’s door stood open; a blonde female physician, her face still bearing grotesque surgical scars, used a bone saw to dissect an alien corpse on the autopsy table.

Li Cheng glanced around, instinctively calculating the total volume of steel within his line of sight, arriving at a staggering astronomical figure.

These phone booths were special structures within the Physical Killing Ground, functioning as teleportation stations—the primary means of player transportation.

Li Cheng nodded, paid ten game coins via the pop-up transaction interface, then entered a nine-digit number on the phone’s dial.

The shop was of moderate size, with only one sales clerk; shelves, cabinets, even the ceiling were crammed with an array of firearms.

This was merely a tiny fraction of the Killing Ground’s total structure; stretching his gaze far into the distance, he could faintly see the city’s far end connected to a pipe over ten kilometers in diameter, leading to unknown regions.

Boom—

“Silver-Scale Chestplate, Rare Quality, 600 each! First come, first served!”

Li Cheng looked around and spotted a blue phone booth with a penguin logo and serial number 4090, at the far end of the bridge, a hundred meters away.

“Accept.”

114.41.80.172

“Time is limited, no leisurely sightseeing—stick to the plan.”

It was like walking into a cosplay convention—everywhere were bizarre creatures.

Li Cheng scratched his head; if he lifted his restrictions and summoned his mantis-arm bone blades, spikes, and carapace plates, he’d look like a monster to ordinary eyes.

The sensation was peculiar—like being rolled back and forth by a rolling pin, his body flattening and elongating as he traveled through a colorful river. His perception of the outside world grew sluggish, as if drunk.

Li Cheng rubbed his palms together and, following the forum’s map, strode into a gun shop named 【Full Firepower】.

Crowds thronged the streets; many wore bizarre costumes—Stormtrooper armor from Star Wars, Akatsuki outfits from Naruto, unitard suits from Evangelion.

Banks, fast food, clothing, beauty salons, jewelry, electronics, gyms, pharmacies—all were present, alongside clinics, gun shops, martial arts academies—elements rarely seen in real-world commercial streets.

It was simply unimaginable how vast the entire Killing Ground complex was, or what purpose such a colossal structure served.

“Alright, alright—will you pay with Killing Ground points?” the clerk beamed. “Need a membership card? Upgrade to Gold Member for a 20% discount.”

He sprinted to the phone booth, pulled open the glass door, lifted the receiver, and heard a voice dripping with sly mockery.

The phone suddenly emitted a suction force; Li Cheng was pulled entirely into the receiver.

Li Cheng nodded politely; he wasn’t using his real face—he’d crafted a new one, and wore a night suit sprayed with deodorant.

Aside from Li Cheng, there was no trace of human activity in the entire metropolis.

According to forum summaries, new players typically find a teleport phone booth nearby upon first logging into the Killing Ground, allowing immediate access to a safe zone.

“Need a haircut, sir? Get a membership? Try swimming and fitness? Beauty and haircare too!”

Li Cheng took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and stepped onto the bustling street.

Perhaps noticing Li Cheng’s gaze, the female physician paused her work, grinned at him, and waved the alien’s arm.

Architectural styles were wildly inconsistent and chaotic: a towering modern bank building stood to the left of a three-story classical Chinese restaurant, while to the right was a witchcraft shop selling toads, salamanders, and wands. It looked profoundly incongruous—fitting for the name 【Rough Street】.

Seconds later, Li Cheng tumbled out from inside the phone, appearing in a new blue phone booth with serial number 39. Noisy clamor came from outside.

“New Galaxy’s first offline casino opens! Sexy dealers, live card dealing! Deposit any amount, get the same amount free! Withdraw up to one Bitcoin per day!”

The gym had no door; a group of muscular men in tank tops sweated profusely, lifting barbells weighing over 500 kilograms each.

At the street corner stood a figure in a white lab coat, sporting a massive dragon head, holding a bottle of soy sauce, speaking to a spirit.

【Archilles Long-Range Teleport Program is honored to serve you. This service charges 3% of your total Spiritual Power value in game coins. Accept?】

Before Li Cheng could answer, a familiar voice called from outside the gun shop: “Personally, skip the card—pay with Rough Street currency at checkout.”

Li Cheng turned; outside stood Chang Sunyao, accompanied by several employees of the World Nuclear Peace Bureau, nodding at him with surprise and friendliness: “Again, I see you.”

(End of Chapter)